From 48V to 800V: the new AI power shift

AI infrastructure is reshaping the entire semiconductor power ecosystem. In this new article, Hassan Cheaito, PhD, Senior Technology & Market Analyst at Yole Group, explores the rise of the High Voltage Intermediate Bus Converter (HV IBC) market, a segment expected to be worth $1.1 billion by 2031.

From 800V architectures and AI-driven power density to the future of 48V, 12V, and 6V conversion strategies, this article highlights the key technical and market questions redefining next-generation AI data centers.

This analysis is part of Yole Group’s latest Power Electronics & Computing research activities and report collection

📍Meet Yole Group’s analysts and business teams at PCIM Europe in June to discuss the future of AI power architectures and semiconductor innovation. Our PCIM 2026 program. Contact: Sandrine Leroy

Beyond streamlining workflows and enabling new digital services, AI is now viewed as a critical technology at both industrial and governmental levels. Nations and hyperscalers are investing heavily to secure access to advanced AI infrastructure, creating unprecedented demand for high-performance computing hardware and the supporting power ecosystem.

From a semiconductor perspective, achieving the next generation of AI performance requires progress across the entire hardware stack. Computing devices, memory, optical interconnects, networking, and power electronics must evolve at the same pace. One major architectural shift is the increasing concentration of GPUs within a single rack. Keeping accelerators physically close reduces networking complexity and improves overall system performance. More insights are available in the Computing and AI for Data Centers 2026 report.

This trend is driving the transition to disaggregated architectures, in which power shelves are separate from compute racks. Instead of integrating power conversion inside traditional server racks, the next generation will create a sidecar power rack alongside an “IT-only” compute rack.