Hitachi Liquid Cooling System

In 2007, Hitachi provided its Liquid-Cooling System for AMD Opteron-based workstations by HP. With the increasing performance of workstations and increasing capacity of memory chips and other components in the workstation, heat dissipation was becoming more of an issue. Hitachi developed the Liquid-Cooling System to significantly reduce heat and noise typically generated in high-performance workstation applications. Hitachi liquid cooling provided an acoustic improvement for idle and CPU max load states, as well as a lower pitch tone that blends easily into background noise. This was made possible by the removal of the CPU heat sink fans and by implementing a higher air flow chassis fan for liquid-cooling, utilizing high heat transfer capacity of the liquid. The system also provided reliable and safe countermeasures with high control of liquid permeation, degradation, and corrosion.

Evolution of Liquid Cooling Systems

Liquid cooling systems have evolved significantly over the years, and this evolution is particularly noticeable in the computer industry where these systems are often used to cool high-performance components. Here are some of the key improvements and advancements in liquid cooling technology:

1. Ease of Installation and Maintenance: Earlier liquid cooling systems were quite complex to install and maintain, usually requiring a fair bit of technical know-how. Over the years, manufacturers have started producing all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers that come pre-assembled and are as easy to install as traditional air coolers.
2. Performance and Efficiency: Advances in pump designs, improved radiator materials, and more efficient fan designs have contributed to better heat dissipation, resulting in improved performance and energy efficiency of liquid cooling systems.
3. Miniaturization and Integration: Over time, liquid cooling components have become smaller, more compact, and more integrated, which allows them to be used in smaller form factors, including laptops and compact desktop PCs.
4. Quieter Operation: Advances in pump and fan technology have made modern liquid cooling systems much quieter than their predecessors. This has made liquid cooling more appealing to users who want a quiet computing environment.
5. Improved Coolant and Tubing: The quality of coolants used in these systems has improved, with modern coolants offering better thermal properties and longer life spans. The tubing has also improved, with many now using flexible, leak-resistant materials.
6. Aesthetics and Customization: Modern liquid cooling systems often include RGB lighting and clear tubing or blocks, catering to users who want to show off their systems. Many manufacturers also offer customization options, allowing users to choose the color of the coolant or the style of the tubing.
7. Direct Liquid Cooling and Immersion Cooling: These are more recent advances being used in data centers for high-density computing. Direct liquid cooling involves bringing the coolant directly in contact with components, while immersion cooling involves submerging components in a non-conductive liquid. Both can offer even greater cooling efficiency than traditional liquid cooling systems.
8. Reliability and Safety: Modern systems have better seals and use non-conductive coolants, which reduce the risk of damaging components in the event of a leak.

While liquid cooling is more common in high-end computers, data centers, and servers, improvements in cost-effectiveness, reliability, and ease of use are making it more mainstream.