Choosing the Right OSFP: Balancing Performance and Thermal Innovation

As AI supercomputing, HPC, and next-gen data centers evolve, high-speed connectivity isn’t enough—efficient thermal management is now critical. FIBERSTAMP OSFP modules offer flexible packaging options to match different cooling scenarios, helping you maximize performance and energy efficiency.

Three OSFP Packaging Options
Finned-Top OSFP

Top fins improve airflow and cooling

13.00 mm height, air-cooled switches compatible

Ideal for traditional rack-mounted switches

Example: 800G OSFP SR8 VCSEL 850nm 100m MMF MPO Optical Transceiver

Close-Top OSFP

Smooth top with ventilation holes, internal heat structure

13.00 mm height, fully compatible with Finned-Top

Optimized for airflow in air-cooled systems

Example: SiPh 800G OSFP DR8 1310nm 500m SMF MPO Optical Transceiver

Flat-Top OSFP (OSFP-RHS)

Flat, no fins or openings

Slim 9.50 mm height, fits liquid-cooling plates or external heat sinks

Perfect for liquid-cooled servers, high-density GPU racks, or OEM systems

Example: 400G OSFP-RHS SR4 VCSEL 850nm 100m MMF MPO Optical Transceiver

Application Scenarios (Illustrated with NVIDIA Use Cases)
Finned Top ↔ Finned Top

Ideal for air-cooled OSFP switches, such as standard Ethernet switches relying on chassis fan airflow for cooling.

Finned Top ↔ Flat Top

Suited for hybrid cooling setups, like NVIDIA DGX H100 Cedar systems connecting to air-cooled switches. The DGX rack uses liquid cooling internally, while switches remain air-cooled—requiring a Finned-to-Flat configuration to bridge different thermal environments.

Flat Top ↔ Flat Top

Designed for fully liquid-cooled OEM systems or back-to-back adapter testing. Here, air cooling is insufficient, so modules must make direct contact with cold plates or heat sinks to ensure optimal thermal performance and reliability.

Why Thermal Design Matters

With increasing compute demands, data centers are moving from traditional air-cooling to liquid-cooling and hybrid setups. Choosing the right OSFP package ensures:

Maximum airflow utilization in air-cooled systems

Efficient heat transfer in liquid-cooled or high-density setups

Flexibility with mixed-use or future upgrades

FIBERSTAMP’s OSFP modules provide the right thermal solution for your performance needs, ensuring reliable connectivity and higher energy efficiency.

About FIBERSTAMP

As an Open Optical Network Mail Carrier, FIBERSTAMP is committed to providing global users with Economic, Professional and Efficient Open Optical Network Solutions. The current main products cover 25G/50G/100G/200G/400G/800G optical transceiver modules, Active Optical Cables (AOCs) and Direct Attached Cables (DACs), 100G/200G/400G coherent optical modules and UHD video transmission products. Meanwhile, through long-term deep digging in new technology, FIBERSTAMP is rapidly evolving to the promising era of 1600G and CPO based on Silicon Photonics!