Solidigm debuts the world's first liquid-cooled eSSD solution — Aims to achieve fully fanless GPU servers

Solidigm, a US-based subsidiary of SK hynix specializing in storage solutions for data centers has introduced what it claims to be the world's first liquid-cooled eSSD (Enterprise SSD) solution for AI servers. Solidigm presented its D7-PS1010 E1.S eSSDs at GTC, paving the way for fully liquid-cooled servers in the future.

SSDs are an extremely vital component of servers designed for AI due to their fast data access requirements. While SSDs are prone to endurance limits, AI workloads are generally more read-intensive. This coupled with the lack of mechanical parts, higher efficiency, and predictable response times makes SSDs the go-to choice for AI-centric data centers. In an attempt to foster fanless server designs, Solidigm has pioneered the world's first liquid-cooled eSSD solution.

Traditional DLC (Direct Liquid Cooling) solutions for eSSDs fail to adequately cool both sides of drives. Additionally, the design is not hot-swappable, incurring downtime during replacements. Solidigm's D7-PS1010 E1.S eSSD overcomes these limitations as its cold plates have been engineered to keep temperatures at both sides under check. Furthermore, the design is highly serviceable, allowing technicians to hot-swap SSDs from the rear using a spring-loaded mechanism.

Solidigm says these eSSDs can eliminate fan-based 1U rack designs, decreasing HVAC and air-cooling costs for data centers. Industry-wide adoption of D2C (Direct to Chip) cooling solutions can set a standard for future data centers to be built with liquid-cooling infrastructure in mind. Just a few days back, CoolIT revealed a single-phase DLC cold plate, advertised to dissipate 4kW of heat for next-gen AI accelerations, like Nvidia's Blackwell Ultra B300 chips.

The Solidigm D7-PS1010 E1.S will also launch in a 15mm form factor for already-existing air-cooled servers and other storage solutions. Servers still employ certain components that are not liquid-cooled, wherein heat from these components must be dissipated through HVACs and other air-cooling solutions. We're still faraway from immersion cooling, however. While they have several advantages of traditional DLC solutions, existing infrastructure cannot be easily molded to suit their requirements.

Attendees at Nvidia's GTC event can see this SSD at Booth #1602. Solidigm says the D7-PS1010 E1.S is set to launch in the second half of this year for AI servers, presumably alongside Nvidia's B300 accelerators.