NVIDIA Forms 800V HVDC Power Alliance for Data Centers

NVIDIA has recently announced the formation of a technology alliance dedicated to delivering 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power solutions for AI data centers. This initiative is viewed as a crucial step toward supporting 1-megawatt (MW) server racks starting from 2027.

The alliance brings together leading semiconductor companies including Infineon, MPS, Navitas, Rohm, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments, alongside power module manufacturers such as Delta, Flex Power, Lead Wealth, LiteOn, and Megmeet. Additionally, power system experts Eaton, Schneider Electric, and Vertiv are part of this collaboration.

Current AI data center power distribution relies on multiple voltage conversions, which increases complexity and reduces efficiency as power demands grow with rising AI workloads. Existing 54V DC server racks have reached a power ceiling of around 200kW. For example, NVIDIA’s GB200 NVL72 and GB300 NVL72 racks incorporate up to eight power shelves to feed compute and switching racks. However, continuing to use 54V DC power distribution for a 1MW rack could require up to 64U of rack space, or alternatively, dedicated power racks for each compute rack, which consumes valuable data center real estate.

NVIDIA’s 800V HVDC architecture addresses these challenges by using industrial-grade rectifiers to convert 13.8 kV high-voltage AC grid power directly into 800V HVDC at the data center perimeter. This approach eliminates most intermediate power conversion stages, significantly reducing energy losses associated with multiple AC/DC and DC/DC conversions. As a result, overall power efficiency is improved by approximately 5%.

Moreover, the HVDC design reduces the number of fan-cooled power supply units (PSUs) required, which enhances system reliability, lowers cooling demands, decreases component count, and boosts energy efficiency. Given that cooling represents a major portion of AI data center energy expenditure, reducing heat generation has a substantial impact on both operational costs and equipment lifespan. The architecture also reduces maintenance costs by up to 70% due to fewer PSU failures.

Utilizing an 800V bus system and transitioning from 415V AC to 800V DC enables the transmission of up to 85% more power through conductors of the same size. The higher voltage decreases current flow and resistive losses, allowing thinner conductors to handle the same electrical load. This reduces copper usage by approximately 45% and eliminates AC-specific inefficiencies, including skin effect and reactive power losses.

Infineon is actively collaborating with NVIDIA to develop next-generation power systems based on this architecture, which features 800V centralized power generation and HVDC distribution optimized for AI data centers. This new system design significantly enhances energy-efficient power delivery and supports direct power conversion on AI chips (GPUs) within server motherboards. Leveraging expertise in power conversion from the grid to core systems, Infineon is advancing a comprehensive HVDC roadmap utilizing semiconductor materials such as silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN).

With AI data centers already deploying over 100,000 individual GPUs, the demand for higher-efficiency power solutions is increasingly critical. Projections indicate that by the end of this decade, AI data centers will require power outputs of 1 MW or more per IT rack. Combining HVDC architectures with high-density multiphase power systems will establish new industry benchmarks, driving innovation in advanced components and power distribution infrastructures.

Currently, power delivery in AI data centers is decentralized, relying on numerous individual power units to feed AI chips. Future architectures will centralize power delivery to optimize constrained server rack space and support scalability. This shift highlights the growing importance of cutting-edge power semiconductor solutions that minimize power conversion stages and enable upgrades to higher distribution voltages.