Direct-to-chip (DTC) cooling uses cold plates mounted directly on high-power components to remove heat with liquid coolant. Cold plates contain microchannels where liquid flows, absorbing heat from the chip surface. The heated liquid circulates to external heat exchangers where it's cooled and recirculated. DTC targets only the hottest components (CPUs, GPUs) rather than cooling the entire server. Handles 1000-1600W [[Thermal Design Power - TDP]] range. Beyond 1600W requires two-phase cooling where the liquid boils to absorb more heat. DTC integrates with standard rack architectures, avoiding the specialized tanks needed for [[Immersion Cooling]]. Key advantage is serviceability. Disconnect the lines, swap the component, reconnect. No draining fluids or specialized procedures. Faster deployment than immersion because existing data center infrastructure remains mostly intact. Trade-off: only cools targeted components. Other heat sources (memory, power supplies) still need traditional cooling. Less total energy efficiency than immersion but easier to operate and maintain. Deployed by [[Hyperscalers]] for high-density AI racks where air cooling fails but full immersion isn't justified. Companies like Iceotope, ZutaCore, and CoolIT Systems dominate the market. --- #deeptech #datacenters