With energy demands for high-level GPUs hitting 1kW per chip and expected to rise to 2kW and beyond by the end of the decade, development of higher power PSUs has become all but inevitable.
Infineon Technologies has announced plans to release 8kW and 12kW PSUs specifically to power AI systems in data centers. The company’s PSU portfolio already includes 3kW and 3.3kW models available to purchase now, but the much more powerful 8kW and 12kW PSUs, expected next year, will help reduce power consumption, CO2 emissions, and lifetime operating costs.
Some analysts believe that data centers will account for up to seven percent of global electricity consumption by 2030. Infineon says its new PSUs will address future challenges and limit the CO2 footprint of AI data centers by achieving up to 97.5 percent efficiency.
Coming soon(ish)
"At Infineon, we power AI. We are addressing a critical question of our era – how to efficiently meet the escalating energy demands of data centers," says Adam White, Division President Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon.
“It’s a development that was only possible by Infineon's expertise in integrating the three semiconductor materials silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) into a single module. Our PSU portfolio is therefore not only an example of Infineon's innovative strength, which leads to first-class results in terms of performance, efficiency and reliability for data centers and the AI ecosystem. It also reinforces Infineon's market leadership in power semiconductors."
Infineon's 8kW PSU is capable of supporting AI racks with an output of up to 300 kW and more. The company says its efficiency and power density is increased to 100 watts per in³ compared to 32 W/in³ in its existing 3kW PSU.
The 8kW model is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2025. There’s no word on when the 12kW PSU will arrive. Infineon’s roadmap says only that it is “coming soon”.
