Texas Instruments (TI) has joined hands with NVIDIA to develop power management and sensing technologies designed for a new 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system. This step will support future AI-driven data centres, offering scalable, efficient, and compact power distribution solutions.
The problem with power today
AI is growing fast and so is its appetite for power. Currently, each data centre rack consumes about 100kW, but that number is set to jump to over 1MW soon. To handle that with today’s 48V systems, nearly 450 pounds of copper would be needed per rack. This makes current systems bulky, inefficient, and unsustainable for future needs.
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A smarter, lighter power future
The new 800V HVDC system solves these issues by offering higher power density and better conversion efficiency, all while keeping the size and weight manageable.
“A paradigm shift is happening right in front of our eyes,” said Jeffrey Morroni, director of power management R&D at Kilby Labs and a TI Fellow. “AI data centres are pushing the limits of power to previously unimaginable levels. TI’s power conversion expertise and NVIDIA’s AI expertise enable 800V high-voltage DC architectures.”
“Semiconductor power systems are an important factor in enabling high-performance AI infrastructure,” added Gabriele Gorla, VP of System Engineering at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is teaming with suppliers to develop an 800V high-voltage DC architecture that will efficiently support the next generation of powerful, large-scale AI data centres.”
