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Microsoft announces 'world's most powerful' AI data center — 315-acre site to house 'hundreds of thousands' of Nvidia GPUs and enough fiber to circle the Earth 4.5 times

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Tom's Hardware

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Microsoft has revealed plans for Fairwater, a massive AI data center set to become the "world's most powerful" upon its completion in early 2026. The facility, located in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, will span 315 acres and house "hundreds of thousands" of Nvidia GPUs connected by enough fiber to circle the Earth 4.5 times. Fairwater will utilize closed-loop water cooling to minimize water waste and will offer ten times the performance of today's fastest supercomputer. Microsoft is focused on sustainability, aiming to avoid increasing electricity costs for local communities. The construction involves impressive numbers, including 46.6 miles of deep foundation piles and storage systems equivalent to five football fields. Multiple similar data centers are also in progress across the United States.

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