Preparing for NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs: Power, Cooling, and Scalability

NVIDIA’s upcoming Blackwell GPUs represent a monumental leap in AI performance, delivering up to 30 times the capabilities of their predecessor, the NVIDIA H100. Slated for release in Q4 2024, Blackwell promises unparalleled efficiency for AI training and inference. However, this leap in technology comes with significant infrastructure challenges that most organizations will need to address.

Blackwell's introduction marks a pivotal moment in data center evolution. Power density, cooling efficiency, rack configurations, and network architecture will all need upgrades to support this new hardware. Colocation providers like TRG Datacenters are already helping organizations prepare for the unique challenges posed by this next generation of AI technology.

A New Standard for Power Requirements

Blackwell’s performance brings a drastic increase in power demands. While traditional data centers typically manage 4–6 kW per rack, modern AI workloads are easily pushing densities to 10–20 kW per rack. Blackwell takes this to the next level, requiring between 60 kW and 120 kW per rack, making significant upgrades unavoidable for most organizations.

According to HPCWire, fewer than 5% of existing data centers worldwide are equipped to handle power densities beyond 50 kW per rack. Meeting Blackwell’s requirements will involve:

• Electrical Overhaul: Transformers, power distribution units (PDUs), and circuit breakers must be rated to handle higher loads. TRG Datacenters emphasizes designing power systems to meet NEMA standards, ensuring that breakers operate at 80% of their rated capacity. This safety margin prevents failures caused by transient spikes, which are common in AI workloads.
• Dynamic Power Monitoring: Blackwell GPUs exhibit erratic power loads, often spiking to 150% of their baseline usage in milliseconds. Implementing dynamic monitoring systems to manage and predict peak loads can significantly reduce the risk of outages. TRG Datacenters applies these principles in its designs, ensuring power reliability for high-density workloads.
• Physical Infrastructure Updates: High power densities demand robust physical setups, including larger conduits, higher-capacity wiring, and backup systems like UPS and diesel generators to ensure resilience.

Cooling for High-Density Workloads

Cooling infrastructure is as critical as power when deploying Blackwell GPUs. The thermal design power (TDP) of Blackwell GPUs can range from 400W to 1000W per unit, making traditional air-cooling systems insufficient.

Many data centers will need to adopt liquid cooling to handle Blackwell’s heat output. Liquid cooling is far more efficient than air cooling, capable of managing dense racks exceeding 60 kW. TRG Datacenters is already deploying advanced cooling solutions, including liquid cooling systems, to support cutting-edge AI workloads. Options include:

• Direct-to-Chip Cooling: Pipes deliver coolant directly to the GPU and other heat-intensive components, ensuring efficient heat dissipation.
• Immersion Cooling: Entire systems are submerged in non-conductive liquids, offering the highest efficiency for extreme workloads.

Switching to liquid cooling involves significant adjustments, including installing pumps, chillers, and heat exchangers, as well as reconfiguring racks to accommodate plumbing and cooling systems.

Upgrading for ASHRAE H1 Guidelines

ASHRAE’s updated H1 thermal guidelines are tailored for high-performance computing environments. Transitioning from legacy A1 standards to H1 ensures your cooling infrastructure can handle the erratic thermal loads Blackwell generates.

TRG Datacenters designs facilities that meet these updated guidelines, ensuring optimal cooling performance for even the most demanding workloads.

Optimizing Rack Density and Space Management

Blackwell GPUs’ high power and thermal outputs significantly impact how racks are designed and arranged. Traditional racks built for 5–10 kW will struggle to support these GPUs. Blackwell requires a shift to denser, more specialized rack configurations.

• Space Optimization: Higher density per rack means fewer GPUs can fit without exceeding power and cooling limits. Data centers may need to expand their physical footprint or redesign layouts to accommodate Blackwell’s demands. TRG Datacenters is building a 10MW data hall specifically built for clients with AI GPU workloads.
• Modular Designs: Modular data centers allow for scalability as workloads grow. These designs make it easier to integrate new technologies like Blackwell without a complete facility overhaul.
• Colocation Adjustments: Organizations leveraging colocation facilities will face increased costs due to higher power densities and expanded space requirements. Providers like TRG Datacenters offer tailored colocation solutions designed specifically for high-density environments, ensuring clients can scale their infrastructure seamlessly.

Network Infrastructure to Support Blackwell

AI workloads require not only power and cooling but also high-speed data movement between GPUs and other infrastructure. Blackwell GPUs feature NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand and NVLink, supporting up to 400 Gb/s or more in bandwidth. Traditional network setups, limited to 50–100 Gb/s, cannot handle these speeds effectively.

To upgrade your network:

• High-Bandwidth Switches and Routers: Transition to devices capable of 400 Gb/s or higher to support Blackwell’s throughput.
• Advanced Topologies: Modern architectures like spine-leaf or fat-tree reduce latency and optimize data flow in high-density environments. These topologies into its network designs to ensure clients can achieve maximum performance.
• Redundancy and Resilience: Build in failover mechanisms and redundant pathways to ensure continuous operation, even under heavy AI workloads.

Why Partner with TRG Datacenters?

TRG Datacenters has extensive experience in designing and managing infrastructure for high-performance computing and AI applications. Their expertise in power management, advanced cooling systems, and high-speed networking makes them a trusted partner for organizations preparing to deploy NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs.

• Custom Solutions for Blackwell: TRG Datacenters offers tailored colocation services designed to handle the power, cooling, and space demands of Blackwell GPUs.
• Future-Ready Facilities: With a focus on modular and scalable designs, TRG Datacenters ensures your infrastructure can adapt as your needs evolve.
• Industry Expertise: TRG’s team stays at the forefront of industry advancements, providing insights and solutions that align with the latest technology trends.

Preparing for the AI Data Center Revolution

NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs signal a transformative era for AI computing, but their adoption requires careful planning and significant investment in infrastructure. Power systems must be scaled up, cooling solutions overhauled, and network capacity expanded.

Organizations must evaluate whether their existing data centers can support these demands. TRG Datacenters is uniquely positioned to guide you through this transition, offering expert insights and innovative infrastructure solutions. By partnering with TRG, you can ensure the right environment for the unparalleled performance of NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs.

Contact TRG Datacenters today to assess your readiness for NVIDIA Blackwell and explore solutions to future-proof your infrastructure.

About TRG Datacenters

TRG Datacenters is where experience meets reliability for exceptional data centers. Strategically located top-notch facilities, rigorous organizational practices, and exceptional customer service delivers hassle-free operations that are backed by our management team's 20-year 100% uptime track record.