Feature: Connectors


Cooling the AI revolution


By Amphenol Industrial Operations’ technical team


Figure 1: A latch-style socket option for the Amphenol UQD line connectors offers a fl at button design that minimises the risk of accidental actuation, important in sensitive or crowded installations


liquid cooling is quickly becoming the primary method for high-performance computing environments, with air cooling continuing to play a supporting role in many of the world’s most demanding data centres. AI data centres are experiencing a sharp rise in compute


A 36 October 2025 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


density, with processors and GPUs frequently exceeding 700W of thermal design power per chip. As more of these are packed into smaller form factors, airflow-based cooling simply can’t provide the level of heat dissipation required to maintain system stability. Liquid cooling addresses this problem by offering direct-to-chip thermal regulation with significantly higher heat transfer efficiency. However, this benefit comes with new challenges, specifically in the selection of connectors. These components must not only accommodate high coolant flow rates but must also seal reliably under pressure, support rapid serviceability and occupy minimal space within crowded enclosures.


Connectors fit for data centres cooling systems To support this thermal transition in data centres that are now increasingly supporting AI workloads, Amphenol Industrial Operations has introduced two purpose-built connector series: the UQD (Universal Quick Disconnect) and UQDB (Universal


s artificial intelligence (AI) workloads grow in scale and complexity, server infrastructure must keep pace. Higher processor densities and power demands are creating thermal loads that traditional air cooling systems can no longer handle effectively. In response,


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