800VDC PUSHES AI POWER DESIGN FROM GRID TO GATE

Summary from the TLDR Hardware newsletter

This article details how AI datacenters are evaluating the transition to 800VDC architectures of power distribution. Moving away from current 48V distribution streamlines the conversion path from medium-voltage grid AC to sub-1V silicon, cutting conversion heat losses and reducing heavy copper cabling requirements. Realizing this grid-to-gate efficiency relies on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, solid-state transformers, and upgraded DC-rated switchgear to manage high-voltage safety and rapid load switching across AI clusters. While these technologies are rapidly maturing, it still may take years to change datacenter designs that form the bedrock of all computing stacks.