Metal-Cooled Computing

Iria · Aug 9, 2005, 06:15 PM

In many ways, Moore's Law -- the famous prediction by Gordon Moore, co-founder of chip manufacturer Intel, that microprocessor complexity will grow exponentially without an increase in price -- has held for four decades. But that complexity has come with a hidden "cost": heat.

Packing more and more components and circuits onto a chip requires more electrical power to run it. And most of that power turns into heat, so that the latest chips can quickly exceed 100 degrees Centigrade, if not properly cooled.

The problem is getting so serious that last year Intel canceled a high-speed-CPU project, in part because it found no practical way to cool down the energy-consuming chips (see accompanying Notebook). Overheated chips don't work reliably, possibly leading to computer crashes, mangled files, graphical glitches, and even permanent damage.

"There is a great demand for compact, cost-effective cooling solutions," says Suresh V. Garimella, director of the Cooling Technologies Research Center at Purdue University in Indiana. According to him, the fans traditionally used to cool personal computers are "reaching their limits."

One potential solution to this growing problem is more commonly associated with nuclear reactors: liquid metal cooling. Spearheaded by NanoCoolers, a startup in Austin, TX, the technology takes advantage of a unusual compound of metals that remains liquid at room temperature. Currently, their mixture of gallium and indium (and a pinch of tin) flows freely at temperatures above 7 degrees C. And a new formula could go as low as minus 10 degrees C, according to product manager Mick Wilcox.

"This technology is one among a number of new and promising cooling solutions that are being proposed and pursued lately," says Garimella.
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Read More / Source: Technology Review

Aug 9, 2005, 06:15 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Metal-Cooled Computing In many ways, Moore's Law -- the famous prediction by Gordon Moore, co-founder of chip manufacturer Intel, that microprocessor complexity will grow exponentially without an increase in price -- has held for four decades. But that complexity has come with a hidden "cost": heat. Packing more and more components and circuits onto a chip requires more electrical power to run it. And most of that power turns into heat, so that the latest chips can quickly exceed 100 degrees Centigrade, if not properly cooled. The problem is getting so serious that last year Intel canceled a high-speed-CPU project, in part because it found no practical way to cool down the energy-consuming chips (see accompanying Notebook). Overheated chips don't work reliably, possibly leading to computer crashes, mangled files, graphical glitches, and even permanent damage. "There is a great demand for compact, cost-effective cooling solutions," says Suresh V. Garimella, director of the Cooling Technologies Research Center at Purdue University in Indiana. According to him, the fans traditionally used to cool personal computers are "reaching their limits." One potential solution to this growing problem is more commonly associated with nuclear reactors: liquid metal cooling. Spearheaded by NanoCoolers, a startup in Austin, TX, the technology takes advantage of a unusual compound of metals that remains liquid at room temperature. Currently, their mixture of gallium and indium (and a pinch of tin) flows freely at temperatures above 7 degrees C. And a new formula could go as low as minus 10 degrees C, according to product manager Mick Wilcox. "This technology is one among a number of new and promising cooling solutions that are being proposed and pursued lately," says Garimella. __________ Read More / Source: Technology Review