Part 1: Why I Almost Missed the Boat on Data Center Cooling - And Why You Shouldn't!
Let me take you back a couple of months - to an evening I'd rather forget but can't, because it’s the evening I almost let one of the hottest investment opportunities slip right through my fingers. Picture this: I was at one of those swanky downtown lounges, sipping on an old-fashioned, when a close friend - let's call him Alex - leaned over and whispered, "Have you considered investing in data center cooling?"
I raised an eyebrow. Data center cooling? Why would I chase that when there are other glamorous tech sectors glittering in neon?
We talked to multiple institutional investors about this in the last 4 months. This is the twist. With the generative AI revolution, especially the growth of massive language models, there's an astronomical surge in the need for high-powered computations. These aren't your garden-variety calculations – these mammoth tasks require the prowess of GPUs. Unlike traditional CPUs, GPUs can hold and process the immense complexities of these models. But there's a catch – GPUs consume almost 4X more power than the CPU-centric servers. The heat generated? Off the charts! Hence, air cooling just won’t cut it anymore. We’re entering the era of liquid cooling, and if you're not sipping that cocktail yet, you’re missing out.
Well, let me tell you - if I had a dime for every time I've kicked myself since that evening, I'd probably have enough to cool a data center myself! And if you're not yet aboard this speeding train, let's chat about data center cooling before you find yourself in my old shoes.