Tag Archives: heat sinks

On-chip liquid cooling promises revolutionary change

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The technique involves cutting microfluidic channels into the die of FPGA devices, which were chosen for the research and trials because of their flexible configuration and extensive use in the military. Effectively this locates the cooling just microns from the problem, and even allows for the possibility of chip-stacking, which very few devices currently have the room or efficiency to achieve, given the necessity to dissipate heat from a central locus of adjacent chips.

Source: On-chip liquid cooling promises revolutionary change

The Best CPU Coolers: 10-Way Roundup

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With the recent arrival of Ivy Bridge-E (see our Core i7-4960X review), I felt it was a good time to check out the latest aftermarket coolers. The new chip is fully compatible with Sandy Bridge-E/EP’s LGA2011 socket. We contacted all the major players and received 10 heatsinks to test including units from Noctua, Thermalright, Xigmatek, Silverstone and Thermaltake.

via The Best CPU Coolers: 10-Way Roundup – TechSpot.

Intel immerses its servers in oil — and they like it!

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The idea of immersing servers in oil to keep them cool isn’t entirely new — passionate gamers have been housing their systems in vegetable oil for years. But it’s time to take notice of this trend when Intel starts singing its praises as a potentially revolutionary method for slashing the price of running a data center.

via Intel immerses its servers in oil — and they like it! — Cloud Computing News.

Most servers today follow design principles for optimal airflow, but “we could throw some of those rules out,” he said, and maybe build a better server. The obvious steps are eliminating anything to do with fans, sealing hard drives (or going to solid-state drives) and replacing any organic materials that might leech into the oil. A redesign of the heat sink probably would be in order, as would a rethinking of where things sit on the motherboard.

Sony develops thermal sheet as good as paste for CPU cooling

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Sony Chemical & Information Device Corp. has demonstrated a thermal sheet that it claims matches thermal paste in terms of cooling ability while beating it on life span. The key to the sheet is a combination of silicon and carbon fibers, to produce a thermal conductive layer that’s between 0.3 and 2mm thick.

via Sony develops thermal sheet as good as paste for CPU cooling – Computer Chips & Hardware Technology | Geek.com.

Licensing/Technology Transfer The Sandia Cooler

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Sandia researchers have developed a radically new architecture for air-cooled heat exchangers.

via Sandia National Laboratories : Licensing/Technology Transfer The Sandia Cooler.

In this new device architecture, heat is efficiently transferred from a stationary base plate to a rotating (counterclockwise) structure that combines the functionality of cooling fins with a centrifugal impeller.  Dead air enveloping the cooling fins is subjected to a powerful centrifugal pumping effect, providing a 10x reduction in boundary layer thickness at a speed of a few thousand rpm.  Additionally, high-speed rotation completely eliminates the problem of heat exchanger fouling.  The “direct drive advantage”, in which relative motion between the cooling fins and ambient air is created by rotating the heat exchanger, provides a drastic improvement in aerodynamic efficiency.  This translates to an extremely quiet operation.  The benefits have been quantified on a proof-of-concept prototype.

Coolest jobs in tech (literally): running a South Pole data center

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That mission demands a level of reliability that many less remote data centers cannot provide. Raytheon Polar Services held the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic programs support contract until April. As Dennis Gitt, a former director of IT and communications services for the company puts it, a failure anywhere in the Antarctic systems could lose data from events in space that may not be seen again for millennia.

via Coolest jobs in tech (literally): running a South Pole data center.

With a maximum population of 150 at the base during the Austral summer, South Pole IT professionals-in-residence are limited to a select few. And they don’t get to stay long—most of the WIPAC IT team only stays for a few months in the summer, during which they have to complete all planned IT infrastructure projects.