Air cooled computers are for wimps. But while the idea of keeping temperatures in check using water might be a step in the right direction, Intel is taking a page from high-end over-clocked gaming PC rigs: it’s dunking entire servers — the whole lot — into oil to keep them chill.
As you’d expect, they’re using mineral oil, which doesn’t conduct electricity. After a year of testing with Green Revolution Cooling, Intel has observed some of the best efficiency ratings it’s ever seen. As is the the case with PC rigs, full immersion in the oil doesn’t seem to affect hardware reliability.
Completely immersing components in liquid means you can pack components in more tightly as the cooling is so much more efficient. [Data centre Knowledge via Slashdot]
Image by Green Revolution Cooling