Alpha Networks Inc. announced the launch of its 1.6T liquid-cooled switch equipped with the Broadcom Tomahawk 6 chip to deliver up to 102.4 Tbps of switching capacity. Designed for AI/cloud data center and high-performance computing (HPC) applications, the product addresses high-speed connectivity requirements for generative AI, large-scale multimedia streaming, and Internet-of-Things deployments through a direct liquid-cooling system.
The Broadcom Tomahawk 6 chip provides 102.4 Tbps of switching capacity from a single chip, representing double the bandwidth of existing Ethernet switches. Throughput increases by 6x compared to the previous generation and supports the collaborative operation of up to 100,000 GPUs, processing the equivalent of 25,000 4K-quality movies per second. Each liquid-cooling module removes over 1.8 KW of heat, providing a more compact solution than air-cooled alternatives while reducing acoustic emissions for data center environments.
The product conforms with the EIA/ORv3 standard water-cooled rack design and includes leak detection with automatic shutdown functions for operational stability. The 64-port 1.6T OSFP interface supports DAC/ACC high-speed cables and long-distance ZR+ optical modules. The modular DC/DC power supply design accommodates supply chain flexibility. BMC remote management and 1588/PTP precision synchronization are supported.
Growth in generative AI and cloud applications is driving data center requirements for higher bandwidths, lower latencies, and energy efficiency. Air-cooling solutions face constraints as high-end chips reach kilowatt-level power consumption. Larger cooling fins increase costs, rack footprints, energy consumption, and acoustic levels, presenting integration challenges for data centers.
The 1.6T switch from Alpha Networks employs a liquid-cooled solution that delivers more than 1.8 KW of cooling capacity per liquid-cooled board. The reduced footprint and higher thermal efficiency compared to air-cooling addresses data center space and energy requirements. The liquid-cooled design with modular PSU conforms to the next-generation ORv3 800V standard. The circulation circuit includes leak detection to shut down the liquid-cooling system in the event of leaks, providing service response time for technicians.
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