Intel is testing a new method to address the growing heat generation of its high-power-consuming chips. At the recent Foundry Direct Connect event, the company showcased an experimental package-level water cooling solution designed to cool CPUs more efficiently. Intel has working prototypes for both LGA (Land Grid Array) and BGA (Ball Grid Array) CPUs, which were demonstrated using Intel Core Ultra and Xeon server processors.
Instead of spraying coolant directly onto the silicon die, the cooling solution places a specially designed compact cold plate on top of the package, featuring copper microchannels that precisely direct coolant flow. These channels can be optimized to target specific hotspots on the silicon die, potentially improving heat dissipation in the most critical areas.
Intel claims that the system can dissipate up to 1000 watts of heat using standard liquid coolants. This thermal load is uncommon for consumer-grade CPUs but could be significant for high-end AI (Artificial Intelligence) workloads, HPC (High-Performance Computing), and workstation applications.
The cooling assembly is also said to use solder or liquid metal TIM (Thermal Interface Material), which offers better contact performance than polymer-based TIM. Intel states that compared to traditional liquid coolers mounted on lidless dies, this solution can improve thermal performance by 15% to 20%.
Notably, Intel’s approach is not merely a laboratory experiment. Reports indicate that the company has been researching this technology for several years. As modern chip designs demand increasing heat dissipation, Intel is currently exploring how to produce the system for practical deployment.
While Intel continues to refine its prototypes, the enthusiast community has already begun experimenting with similar concepts. YouTuber octppus recently modified the heatsink of an Intel Core i9-14900KS to create a functional micro water block. The modification involved carving internal channels into the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) and sealing it with acrylic resin, embodying Intel’s concept in a DIY manner to some extent.
Intel has not confirmed when or if this cooling method will be applied to mainstream products, but the demonstration is crucial for CPU thermal design. With the increase in power consumption and package density, direct cooling may become a necessity for professional-grade and enthusiast hardware in the future.
For industry insiders, this may not make sense at first, but looking at future designs, it is reasonable to have different types of tiles at different process nodes performing different functions, with some areas being hotter than others—especially since each tile can interact with surrounding tiles.
Currently, Intel Foundry offers a variety of thermal interface materials. The "new TIM" sounds like liquid metal. Certain types of TIM are better suited for different applications, so it is reasonable to have different options available.
One of the more interesting demonstrations was the integration of liquid cooling technology directly into the processor package. Here, we can see a cross-sectional demonstration.
Intel has an example here with openings for cooling liquid and heated liquid.
We can see another design for larger chips. If you have used cold plates in today’s liquid-cooled server designs, you will notice that these are much smaller in size.
Intel states that integrating the cold plate into the processor package is more efficient because fewer layers need to be traversed compared to traditional chips, where there can be TIM between the lid and the die, and more TIM between the lid and the cold plate.
What was shown at Intel Foundry 2025 was more of a demonstration device. We also heard some news about Intel’s future chip testing. The current design is ingenious, but as we move to 2kW and 3kW accelerators, even the internal structure will need to change. Many people do not think about this when they hear about chip foundries, but it makes sense—if foundries can provide thermal design, chip design teams will have fewer obstacles to overcome before finding a viable solution.
Of course, this also focuses more on package cooling solutions. We have heard some companies talk about the possibility that liquids may need to enter the chip package itself in the future, not just the top surface—which is another reason why a team of thermal engineers will be needed to design in-package liquid cold plates in the future.
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CoolingThermal Engineering TeamCoolingThermal is an automation equipment manufacturer based in Kunshan, China, specializing in heat pipe and vapor chamber production equipment since 2017. Our engineering team designs, builds, and commissions complete production lines covering forming, degassing, welding, testing, and assembly processes. The technical content on this blog is written by the same team that develops the equipment — based on real production experience, not secondary research.
