In a method to dramatically reduce costs, Intel and SGI have been testing a supercomputer that’s kept cool by submerging the electronics completely in fluid.





The fluid, developed by 3M is called Novec and it’s a dielectric liquid, which means electronics can be submerged in it and continue to operate normally.

Intel and SGI say it could replace fans and eliminate the need to use tons of municipal water to cool data centers.

Michael Patterson, senior power and thermal architect at Intel, said the technology has the potential to slash data-center energy bills by more than 90 percent.

Today’s motherboards are designed to allow air flow to cool components, but with the use of Novec, circuits could be packed together much more tightly.

“We wouldn’t have done this if we didn’t believe it had potential,” Patterson said. “That’s why we’re taking this to the next step and learning more about Novec.”