What is Heatsink?
| Heatsinks Cool by Absorbing Heat |
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A heatsink is a device that is attached to a semi-conductor device to keep it from overheating by absorbing its generated heat and dissipating it into the air. The most common devices to use heat sinks are power transistors, voltage regulators and microprocessors. Generally, a microprocessor's temperature should not run in excess of 50-55 degrees Celsius (roughly 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit) while under a full load. In Intel based computers, the heatsink is positioned either on top of the microprocessor (in computers with a ZIF socket) or on the side of it (in some of the later Pentiums in which the microprocessor fits into a Slot 1 interface). The heatsink may be held in place on the microprocessor by a clip. To ensure that the heatsink can absorb as much heat as is possible, thermal grease is used to create a heat transferring seal between the two devices. When you buy a computer or a separate microprocessor, the heatsink comes with it. Most heatsinks are aluminum and have "fins" that extend from the base. The fins allow much more space to be exposed to "flowing" air in order to carry away the heat as quickly as possible. There are two type of heatsinks, active and passive. An active heatsink is one that comes with a fan, sometimes called a heatsink / fan combo (HSF). A passive heatsink is one that comes without a fan. |
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