AI servers are now cooled by liquid that runs right up to the chip. The part that touches the chip is a cold plate: a metal block with fine channels inside, mounted on the processor, that carries coolant past the heat source. It looks like a small mechanical part. For a risk team, it is a supply chain with a short approved-supplier list, one dominant metal, a new tariff, open chemical rules and a warranty trap.
DC Market Insights values the data center cold plate market at USD 1.78 billion in 202
