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Digital Realty announced a hosted bare-metal service with direct-to-chip liquid cooling at its SIN11 data center in Singapore in 2021. The company later identified SIN11 as offering liquid-cooled racks, but available sources do not establish whether the original service can still be booked in 2026.
What Digital Realty offered at SIN11
The announcement was about enterprise infrastructure hosted at Digital Loyang 1 (SIN11), in northeast Singapore—not a consumer cooling product or a kit for a home PC. The bare-metal service was developed with Singapore startup CoolestDC. Digital Realty’s 2022 proxy statement subsequently identified SIN11 as offering liquid-cooled racks. Data Center Knowledge’s November 2021 report described the initial deployment and an intention to roll it out to other Digital Realty data centers. That intention is not evidence that the rollout occurred at any particular site.
How direct-to-chip cooling works
In direct-to-chip cooling, liquid carries heat away from server components at the chip, typically through a cold plate attached to the component. Digital Realty’s filing describes SIN11’s racks as using direct-to-chip cooling, while CoolestDC describes cold-plate and liquid-cooling engineering as part of its work.
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- Liquid cooling radiators: Support up to 360mm
- M/B size: EATX/ATX/MicroATX/Mini-ITX
- Drive Bays: 2*3.5 (internal)
- Expansion Slots: 8xslots PCI/PCIE full height
- Sliding rail: Not support, suggest to use rack shelf
What the reported energy figures mean
Digital Realty reported that the SIN11 direct-to-chip servers could use up to 29% less power than conventional air-cooled servers. The company’s 2022 proxy statement is the primary source for that upper-bound comparison. “Up to” matters: the sources do not provide test methodology, sample size, server configuration, or workload details, so the figure is not a guarantee for every server or workload and should not be read as a 29% reduction in the whole facility’s energy use.
The 2021 report also quoted CoolestDC founder Dr Poh Seng Lee describing potential energy reductions of 20–30% and water-use reductions of up to 50%. Those were his broader claims, not a separately documented measurement of the SIN11 pilot in the material cited here. Data Center Knowledge additionally estimated as much as $25,000 in annual electricity savings for a 25 kW rack. That was a 2021 estimate; its tariff, utilization, and calculation assumptions are not specified, so it should not be treated as a current savings forecast.
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- Spacious Chassis: This huge 4U server case comes with 15 internal 3.5" HDD bays.
- Expandable & E-ATX Compatible: 7 PCI expansion slots and E-ATX compatibility gives you growth options for all of your needs.
- Exceptional Cooling: 8 pre-installed cooling fans provide excellent airflow and heat protection. 3 front 120mm PWM fans, 3 middle 120mm fans and 2 rear 80mm fans ensure your drives and chassis avoid overheating.
- Desired Features: Front panel LED indicators for power, HDD, and LAN status monitoring allow quick, easy visual assessment. Additional utility with 2 USB 3.0 port and built-in front panel lock.
What was tested, and when
According to the November 2021 report, the SIN11 setup had been tested for six months in a project funded by Temasek Foundation. CoolestDC’s timeline dates the test’s start to September 2020. The sources establish the reported pilot duration and funding, but do not disclose the detailed test conditions needed to reproduce or independently compare its results.
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How the Singapore offer fits Digital Realty’s later cooling plans
In 2024, Digital Realty described broader support for high-density deployments using direct liquid cooling and rear-door heat exchangers, for rack power densities from 30 to 150 kW and beyond. Those figures describe company-wide deployment capability, not the specification of the 2021 SIN11 bare-metal service. Direct-to-chip cooling removes heat at server components; a rear-door heat exchanger removes heat from air as it exits a rack. Which approach fits depends on the hardware and facility design.
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- Customizable Depth Design: Enjoy flexible configuration with 4-post 27U Network rack pen frame featuring 4 vertical rails and adjustable 22"-35" depth range. Offers ample clearance for AV systems, network gear, and cable management while providing multi-angle access to ports and equipment
- Strong Load Capacity: 27U Network Rack is constructed from durable cold rolled steel for better weldability performancedesigned for ventilation with 27U mounting height and 1200lbs (550kg) weight capacity
- Enterprise-Grade Compatibility: Full 27U height (43.5"H) accommodates standard 19" rack-mount equipment. Features pre-installed square holes with included M6 screws/cage nuts. Universal depth adjustment (21"W x 22"-35"D) works seamlessly with switches, patch panels, and UPS systems.
- Quick-Lock Assembly System: Assembly is required, but it's simple. With all the included hardware & witty instructions, you'll have your server rack ready for servers & networking gear in under 20 minutes.
- Multi-Environment Ready: Enterprise-grade solution for server rooms, data centers, broadcast studios, and commercial spaces. Ideal for consolidating IT infrastructure in offices, schools, retail stores, or home lab setups with space-saving vertical organization
Digital Realty’s current Singapore locations page lists SIN10, SIN11, and SIN12, but listing SIN11 does not confirm that the original bare-metal offer remains bookable. A separate February 2026 Innovation Lab announcement specifies 20 direct-liquid-cooled racks for the Japan location; that rack count is not a Singapore specification.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What an enterprise buyer should verify
For a current deployment, ask Digital Realty or the relevant provider for a site-specific service specification and confirmation of availability. A liquid-cooled rack is not automatically compatible with every workload or server configuration, and a cooling claim alone does not establish total operating savings.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- SPECIFICATIONS - The NavePoint 18U 4-post open frame rack ensures versatility with its adjustable depth from 22.5" to 40.7", fitting a wide range of server sizes. This rack, crafted from Cold Rolled Steel with a black powder coat, stands at 37.21"H x 20.67"W x 22.5-40.7"L and supports up to 1322 lbs, providing a durable and stable platform for mounting heavy-duty 19" rack equipment.
- DESIGN & VENTILATION - This 4-post network rack's open frame design supports unobstructed airflow, critical for maintaining equipment at optimal temperatures. It's ideal for setups where quick access to hardware and efficient cooling are priorities, supporting effective thermal management and easy maintenance.
- MOBILITY & ASSEMBLY - The rack's mobility is enhanced with casters, allowing for smooth relocation and adjustment in the workspace. Although assembly is required, it's facilitated by a self-squaring design and numbered, square-hole mounting positions. The rack arrives flat-packed with all necessary hardware included, making assembly straightforward.
- CABLE MANAGEMENT - Cable management is simplified with the inclusion of cable hooks, which aid in keeping cables organized and accessible. This feature contributes to a cleaner and more organized installation, which is essential for system reliability and ease of service.
- SAFETY & COMPLIANCE - All NavePoint products are built to industry standards.
- Hardware and workload: Confirm which server models and components the cooling design supports, and whether the proposed configuration suits your workload.
- Rack density and interfaces: Establish the supported power density and the facility connections, coolant requirements, and operating limits for the specific deployment.
- Resilience and operations: Ask how cooling continuity, maintenance, and failure response are handled, including responsibilities divided between the customer and facility operator.
- Energy accounting: Separate server power consumption from total facility energy use, and request the comparison baseline and measurement conditions behind any projected savings.
- Commercial availability: Confirm whether SIN11 currently offers the original bare-metal service, its terms, and whether any newer liquid-cooling deployment is a different offering.
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