On March 19, 2026, Texas Instruments (TI) concluded its technical showcase at the NVIDIA GTC conference, detailing a new 800V direct current (DC) power architecture designed to enhance the efficiency of high-density AI data centers. The architecture, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, marks a shift from traditional 48V power distribution to higher voltage systems to accommodate the power demands of next-generation AI factories, where individual server racks are now exceeding 1 megawatt in power consumption.
The newly unveiled system utilizes a two-stage conversion process: 800V to 6V, followed by a step-down to the sub-1V levels required by GPU cores. This streamlined approach replaces more complex multi-stage conversion paths, reducing energy loss and physical footprint. Technical specifications provided by TI indicate that the 800V-to-6V isolated bus converter achieves a peak efficiency of 97.6%. By leveraging integrated Gallium Nitride (GaN) power stages, the converter delivers a power density of more than 2,000 Watts per cubic inch (W/in3), a significant increase over previous silicon-based solutions.
Key components of the 800V ecosystem include a 30kW high-power-density AC/DC power supply unit (PSU) and an 800V hot-swap controller designed for scalable rack-level protection. TI also introduced 800V capacitor bank units (CBU) that utilize electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) cells to reach a power density of 40 W/in3. These units serve as a localized energy reservoir to manage the rapid power fluctuations typical of AI training and inference workloads.
The transition to 800V is primarily aimed at reducing the volume of copper required for data center infrastructure. According to TI, a 1MW rack operating at 48V would require approximately 450 pounds of copper cabling to maintain acceptable distribution losses. The 800V architecture reduces the current required for the same power delivery, allowing for thinner cabling and a reported reduction in the weight of rack-level power distribution components.
The exponential growth of AI computing demands a fundamental rethinking of how we deliver power in data centers, said Kannan Soundarapandian, vice president and general manager of high-voltage power at TI. He noted that the 800V DC architecture represents a critical breakthrough for operators managing the thermal and electrical challenges of modern AI workloads.
The 800V power solution is built to support the NVIDIA 800 VDC reference design. TI confirmed that the reference designs and core components, including the GaN power stages and digital power controllers, are now available for integration by data center equipment manufacturers. Full-scale production of the primary 800V modules is slated to begin in the second half of 2026.