Direct-to-chip liquid cooling · DLC
Cooling that pipes liquid through cold plates mounted directly on processors, the standard for dense AI racks.
Current numbers
~16–52 wkCDU lead time (direct-to-chip liquid cooling) — 16–24 wk standard, 26–52 wk in the current queue
up to ~100%of server exhaust heat captured by a correctly sized rack-mounted door coil (room-neutral); ~40–55% lower capex than full DLC for the bridge band
~55%single-phase DLC share of the liquid-cooling market in 2026; RDHx/AALC serve as the brownfield bridge to ~40–50 kW