Development of Heatpipe-Based Remote Heatsinks for Desktop PCs

Recently the heat generation rate of electronic devices continues to increase, reaching as high as 100 W for CPUs in desktop PCs. Since conventional cooling methods are coming close to performance limits due to the restriction as to the outer dimensions allowed for heatsinks, there is a need for new cooling methods focusing on high-heat generating devices —in excess of 100 W. Accordingly, we have investigated the applicability of a new heatpipe-based remote heatsink (HP-RHS), where heatsinks with a sufficient heat-dissipating area are installed in an open space, and the heat is transferred there using heatpipes. The experimental results show that, using an HP-RHS with a 120-mm square fan, a heat rate of up to some 150 W can be dissipated adequately while keeping the temperature difference between the CPU case and the ambient below 30°C. This paper describes the successful development of such a good heatsink, which is capable of cooling over-100W heat-generating devices offering practicality together with silent operation.