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Please note: Do It Yourself articles and guides are intended for technically advanced users. Please review important cautionary information at the end of this page. Republished articles presented in the Do It Yourself section do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of AMD.
Cooling Your System for Performance: An Introduction
“Bit-Depth”
Whether they are into cars, entertainment systems, or mountain bikes, true enthusiasts always seek to enhance how their toys perform. Computer enthusiasts are no different.
One way to improve your PC’s performance is to improve its cooling capabilities. There are many solutions to choose from, available at many different price points
High-End Air-Cooling
Water Cooling and Chilling
ThermoElectric Cooling (TEC)
Vapor Compression Cycle Cooling
Exotic Cooling
High-End Air-Cooling
Upgrading your system’s air-cooling – the industry standard since fan-equipped, active heatsinks first appeared – is a great way to enhance its performance at a reasonable price.
High-end air coolers are typically larger, with thinner fins and one-piece construction in place of soldered joints. Some use heatpipe technology – fluid-filled tubes that transfer away heat – to enhance the cooling efficiency of the heatsink itself. (AMD uses this type of cooler in its AMD Athlon™ 64 FX Processor in a Box.) Others use larger, more expensive heatsinks, and larger, slower fans to reduce fan noise dramatically, while providing a superior-to-stock cooling solution.
Water Cooling and Chilling
Water coolers, which are more expensive and require more upkeep than air coolers, pump water through a waterblock – a grooved-channel heatsink – attached to the processor. Water circulates through the waterblock, flows through a radiator – which dissipates heat – and then returns to the pump.
Water chillers are increasingly popular high-end products that route water across an air conditioner, “chilling” it to even lower temperatures.
The advantage of water-cooling is that water absorbs energy – here, in the shape of thermal heat – more efficiently than air, and negates the need for a noisy fan. On the downside, there is always the chance of a leak, which will likely destroy components.
ThermoElectric Cooling (TEC)
TEC works on the Peltier effect, the:
production or absorption of heat at the junction of two metals upon the passage of a current – heat generated by the passage of the current in one direction will be absorbed if the current is reversed
In other words, when you pass a DC current through a metal plate, its passage creates a hot side and a cold side.
Air-cooled TEC units look like standard heatsink + fan combinations, with a plate inserted between the heatsink and the chip. They cool chips efficiently, but there is a risk of damaging condensation. And the colder the cold side, the hotter the hot side, necessitating a loud fan to dissipate the extreme heat.
Water-cooled units, which largely are the work of DIYers, cut down on noise and reduce temperatures significantly. Such hybrid systems offer the plusses and minuses of both the air- and water-cooled alternatives.
Vapor Compression Cycle Cooling
Vapor Compression Cycle Cooling systems are expensive and most commonly offered for high-end commercial sale.
They work on the same principle as a household refrigerator – R134 gas is compressed to a vapor, which passes through a condenser, where it dissipates heat. The cooled vapor then flows to the chill head, which sits above and cools the CPU, before returning to the compressor, where the cycle begins again.
This is a closed-loop system that runs quietly, effectively, and safely.
Exotic Cooling
More expensive and supposedly effective systems include dual phase change, full mineral oil immersion, and liquid nitrogen coolers.
Cautionary Statement
Activities and projects described herein may involve the use of tools and materials that may present health and safety hazards. These must be handled carefully and all tools and products should be used strictly according to manufacturers' precautions and instructions for the safe use of the respective tool or product. The techniques described herein may result in the voiding of manufacturers' warranties. The user assumes all risks associated with the techniques described in this article/guide. THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITH NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. AMD ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE/GUIDE AND HAS NO LIABILITY OR OBLIGATION FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THIS ARTICLE/GUIDE.
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