Cooling Technology: The Invisible Guardian of AI Servers – Analysis of AVC, Sun Max Tech, and Sunon
Introduction
In the era of surging AI computing power, every AI chip is like a burning "heart." As computing power demand grows exponentially, chip power consumption continues to rise, making cooling a key bottleneck limiting AI server performance. As industry consensus says: "No matter how strong the AI chip, if you can't cool it, the AI server is not a money machine but an expensive iron box that overheats." Against this backdrop, Taiwan's three cooling leaders – AVC, Sun Max Tech, and Sunon – have become indispensable "invisible guardians" in the global AI industry chain thanks to deep technical accumulation and market layout. This article will delve into the core competitiveness of these three representative companies and explore the evolution trends and industry prospects of cooling technology.
Cooling Industry: A "Demand Must-Have" Track in the AI Era
Traditional server cooling mainly relied on air cooling, but as AI training chip thermal design power (TDP) breaks through 700W or higher, conventional air cooling is stretched. Efficient cooling technologies like liquid cooling, heat pipes, and vapor chambers are rapidly emerging, propelling the cooling market from billions to hundreds of billions. According to industry research institutions, the global data center cooling market is expected to exceed $30 billion by 2025, with liquid cooling penetration likely exceeding 40%. In this context, suppliers with advanced cooling solutions are facing historic opportunities.
AVC: The All-rounder with Comprehensive Cooling Solutions
AVC, as a global leader in the cooling field, covers multiple technology paths including air cooling, liquid cooling, heat pipes, and vapor chambers. Its core competitiveness lies in "vertical integration" and "rapid response." From copper-aluminum material processing to cooling module assembly, AVC has complete supply chain control, offering one-stop services for customized customer needs. Especially in the AI server field, AVC has established deep cooperation with mainstream chip makers like Nvidia and AMD. Its 3D VC (vapor chamber) cooling solution performs well in high power consumption scenarios above 400W. Recently, AVC has actively deployed immersion liquid cooling technology and plans to expand production capacity to Thailand, Mexico, etc., to address geopolitical risks and customer localization requirements.
Sun Max Tech: The Technical Craftsman of Heat Pipes and Vapor Chambers
Sun Max Tech is famous for heat pipe and vapor chamber technology, a global leader in metal powder sintered heat pipes. Its products are widely used in notebooks, servers, base stations, etc., especially excelling in thin and efficient cooling. Facing the challenge of sharply increasing AI chip heat flux density, Sun Max Tech has developed ultra-thin vapor chambers (thickness below 0.4mm) and composite heat pipes, optimizing capillary structure to improve phase-change heat transfer efficiency. Additionally, Sun Max Tech has made breakthroughs in liquid cooling manifolds and cold plate components. Its direct contact liquid cooling solution can reduce chip junction temperature by more than 15°C. Notably, Sun Max Tech has invested heavily in R&D, collaborating with National Taiwan University and ITRI to develop new nano-coating technologies to further improve thermal conductivity of cooling materials.
Sunon: The Invisible Champion of Small Cooling Fans
Sunon is a global leader in small cooling fans and motors, known for low noise, high static pressure, and long life. In AI servers, despite rising liquid cooling penetration, there remains significant demand for air-cooling assistance inside the chassis, making fan modules indispensable. Sunon leverages its proprietary "magnetic suspension motor technology" and "dust-proof structure design" to gain advantages in high-reliability scenarios like 5G base stations and edge AI servers. In recent years, Sunon has actively developed smart fan modules integrating speed monitoring, temperature sensing, and PWM speed control, deeply coupling with liquid cooling systems to form an "air-liquid coordination" intelligent cooling architecture. Moreover, Sunon's production capacity deployment in South Asia and Eastern Europe enhances its supply chain resilience.
Cooling Technology Evolution: From Air Cooling to Liquid Cooling, From Passive to Active
Current cooling technology is undergoing three major transformations: First, "medium upgrade" – from air to water, fluorinated liquids, or even phase-change materials. Second, "structural innovation" – new structures like vapor chambers, loop heat pipes, and micro-channel cold plates are emerging. Third, "intelligent control" – using AI algorithms to predict thermal load changes and dynamically adjust cooling strategies. AVC, Sun Max Tech, and Sunon precisely represent the three technical directions of "system integration," "core components," and "precision execution." Their collaboration and competition are driving the entire cooling industry chain towards higher efficiency and greener development.
Conclusion: Cooling is the Lifeline of AI Computing Power
It can be foreseen that as AI large model training demand continues to expand, cooling technology will no longer be just a "supporting link" but a key lifeline determining whether chips can operate stably and servers can serve long-term. The three representative Taiwan-listed companies – AVC, Sun Max Tech, and Sunon – with their respective technical barriers and customer stickiness, are expected to benefit from the AI computing power infrastructure wave in the coming years. For investors and industry observers, focusing on cooling means not just grasping a niche track but also understanding the underlying logic of "energy management and thermodynamics" in the AI era. When every watt of power consumption can be precisely "cooled," the AI money machine can truly run stably, avoiding value loss due to "overheating."
