One embodiment of a modular, scalable cooling system includes a core cooling module configured to be thermally coupled to a heat-generating electronic device and a supplemental cooling module configured to be thermally coupled to the core cooling module. A first interface attached to the core cooling module is configured to thermally couple the core cooling module to the supplemental cooling module. The core cooling module and the supplemental cooling module may be used alone or in combination to dissipate heat from the heat-generating electronic device.