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Start with the server manufacturer’s liquid-cooling requirements, then evaluate the entire heat path from facility water to the chip—not just a cooling distribution unit’s (CDU’s) advertised capacity. The right system must match the IT equipment’s coolant, temperature, flow and pressure needs while fitting the facility’s heat-rejection strategy, reliability requirements and operating procedures.
1. Get the server requirements before comparing systems
Ask the server or rack manufacturer for the supported liquid-cooling specification for the exact configuration you plan to deploy. Do not assume that requirements carry over to another server family, processor configuration or rack design: flow and pressure-differential needs can vary with facility-water temperature and rack heat dissipation.
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- Supported coolant and water-quality limits, including chemistry, filtration and corrosion-control requirements.
- Permitted liquid inlet-temperature range, required flow rate and required pressure differential or allowable pressure drop.
- Heat load expected to be removed by liquid at the planned operating point.
- Which components are liquid cooled. Cold plates may serve CPUs or GPUs, while other components can remain air cooled; confirm whether the design also covers items such as memory.
These are equipment requirements, not targets to infer from a CDU brochure. ASHRAE’s ASHRAE Handbook—HVAC Applications (2023), Chapter 20, states: “The supply water temperatures in Table 2 are requirements to be met by the IT equipment.”
2. Map the complete heat path and CDU boundary
In a common arrangement, facility water passes through a heat exchanger in the CDU, which serves a separate technology cooling system (TCS) connected to the IT equipment. Depending on the design, the TCS may distribute coolant through rack-level equipment or connect to the IT equipment itself. The secondary loop can include pumps, manifolds, hoses, valves, quick disconnects, sensors and controllers.
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Clarify which of these components are included in each supplier’s scope. A CDU commonly contains a heat exchanger, pumps, valves, temperature, pressure and flow monitoring, and control software. The CDU’s approach temperature—the temperature difference across the heat exchanger under stated conditions—affects how warm the facility water can be relative to the liquid delivered to the IT equipment. Facility supply temperature and server inlet temperature are therefore not interchangeable figures.
3. Compare capacity only at a matching design point
Request a performance submittal showing capacity at your project’s facility-side and technology-side supply and return temperatures, flow rates and approach temperature. Ask for the same information at expected operating load and planned growth load. A capacity number without these conditions is not enough to establish whether a CDU will meet your design point.
| Published example | What the figure means | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| 750 kW nominal CDU serving eight racks | Illustrative cold-plate configuration in an ASHRAE white paper (2021) | An example configuration, not a general design target or universal market benchmark. |
| Up to 2 MW at a 3°C approach temperature | Eaton’s manufacturer-published ROL4000 product-page claim (page accessed 2026) | Manufacturer specification; verify the complete operating conditions and current submittal for your project. |
| Up to 2.5 MW at a 4°C approach temperature | Trane’s manufacturer-published CDU 2.X product-page claim (page accessed 2026) | Manufacturer specification; the different stated approach temperature means this is not, by itself, a like-for-like comparison with another capacity figure. |
These figures describe different examples and are not independent comparative test results. Ask each bidder to document performance at the same project design point rather than rank systems by headline capacity.
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4. Check the water-temperature class against the site strategy
ASHRAE’s 2023 ASHRAE Handbook—HVAC Applications, Chapter 20, lists these facility supply-water ranges:
| ASHRAE facility class | Facility supply-water range |
|---|---|
| W1 | 2–17°C |
| W2 | 2–27°C |
| W3 | 2–32°C |
| W4 | 2–45°C |
| W5 | Above 45°C |
These are facility-side ranges, not a promise that a particular server will accept every temperature within a class. Confirm that the selected IT equipment supports the intended operating conditions and that the CDU can deliver the required technology-side supply temperature at the specified flow and approach.
ASHRAE notes that W32/W40-class facilities may avoid chillers in many locations, while W45/W+ facilities are designed for chiller-less operation. Whether that is practical at a particular site depends on climate, facility design and supported IT equipment. ASHRAE’s AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework also discusses a 45°C facility supply-water reference architecture with elevated return temperatures; it is an architecture-specific example, not a guarantee of site energy savings or suitability for every installation.
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5. Verify coolant, materials and loop isolation
Get written confirmation of the required coolant chemistry, water quality, filtration, corrosion controls and materials in contact with the fluid. Check compatibility across the complete wetted path—not only the CDU—including hoses, fittings, seals, manifolds and server-side components.
A CDU can separate the facility water system from the technology loop, giving the system a boundary for coolant selection and quality control. If a proposed design omits a CDU, identify where isolation, pressure management, temperature control and condensation prevention will instead be provided. Treat those as design responsibilities to resolve explicitly, not as protections that can be assumed.
6. Design for failures, maintenance and safe transitions
ASHRAE’s 2023 handbook emphasizes that redundancy is vital for liquid-cooling systems and discusses backup strategies for critical cooling paths. Require a written failure-response plan that explains what happens to the IT load if a pump, CDU, power feed, sensor or facility loop fails.
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- Ask what pump and power redundancy is provided, and whether isolation and bypass arrangements allow service without interrupting the required cooling path.
- Confirm sensor coverage, alarm thresholds, controls, leak detection and how operators are notified of faults.
- Review service access, maintenance procedures, spare-parts support and commissioning responsibilities.
- Check how the system responds to startup, shutdown, load changes and other transitions—not only steady-state operation.
Condensation prevention is a control requirement when coolant could be below the room dew point. Confirm how controls account for expected room conditions and transitions so that cooling remains within safe limits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Include room cooling, integration and expansion
Direct-to-chip cooling does not necessarily remove all heat from a rack or eliminate room air cooling. Components outside the liquid loop and residual rack heat may still need air management. Include the full installation in the project plan: facility piping, CDU footprint and service clearances, rack or row manifolds, heat-rejection equipment, power, controls and commissioning.
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8. Use a like-for-like procurement checklist
Ask every supplier to respond against the same project requirements and provide supporting documentation for its stated operating envelope.
- Capacity at the project’s supply and return temperatures, flow rates and approach temperature, including at planned growth load.
- Facility-side and technology-side architecture, including the boundary between loops and the components included in the supplier’s scope.
- Compatibility with the selected server’s cooling class, coolant and water-quality specifications.
- Pump, power and cooling-path redundancy, plus documented responses to foreseeable failures.
- Filtration, wetted-material compatibility, monitoring, alarms, leak detection and serviceability.
- Room and rack footprint, integration requirements, commissioning support, expansion provisions, warranty terms and vendor support documentation.
Require bidders to identify the conditions behind every performance claim. Published manufacturer capacities alone do not establish comparable system efficiency or predict site-level savings.
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