How to Customize a CPU radiator?

CPU radiator, as the name suggests, is a device that dissipates heat for the CPU. The CPU processor will generate a lot of heat when it is working. If this heat is not dissipated in time, it may cause the CPU to slow down or even blue screen of death. If the temperature is too high and it lasts for a long time,then the CPU will accelerate aging or even be damaged. Therefore, when assembling a computer, it is necessary to purchase a suitable CPU radiator.

Common CPU radiators can be simply classified into two types, namely "air cooling" and "water cooling". Their heat dissipation principles are essentially very similar. They absorb the heat generated by the CPU through contact between the radiator and the CPU surface, and then transfer the heat out through thermally conductive metal (copper tubes) or water cooling liquid. Finally, the heat is dissipated outside the chassis through the fan.

Down-pressure air-cooling radiators are commonly found on brand-name complete machines or entry-level hosts. They are small in size, cheap in price, and have sufficient heat dissipation capabilities for entry-level or mid-range processors. However, because the fan presses down and blows towards the CPU, it will disrupt the air ducts inside the case and have some impact on the discharge of hot air in the case. Therefore, if it is not an entry-level processor with a core display, it is not recommended to choose a downward-pressure radiator.

"Tower air-cooled radiator" is currently the most commonly used CPU radiator by users at home and abroad, mainly because it is cheap, easy to install, and has good heat dissipation capabilities. The heat dissipation capacity of an air-cooled radiator that costs about 100RMB can suppress more than 90% of CPU on the market (Intel i9 or Ryzen R9 and below).

Water-cooling radiators are generally used for flagship CPU or extreme overclocking players. Because overclocking will increase CPU power consumption and heat generation, a stronger water-cooling radiator is needed to lower the temperature. In other words, if it is not a top-level flagship CPU or you are playing extreme CPU overclocking, it is not necessary to install a water-cooling radiator. Generally speaking, water-cooled radiators are more expensive than air-cooled radiators. However, it is not absolute. Air-cooled radiators are also divided into high, medium and low-end. The price of many high-end air cooling is higher than that of ordinary water cooling. At the same time, the performance of the radiator is not inferior to that of ordinary water cooling. There are four common specifications of water cooling, which are often referred to as "120 water cooling", "240 water cooling", "280 water cooling" and "360 water cooling".

1."120 water cooling" means: the cooling radiator length is 120mm and there is a 120mm fan.

2."240 water cooling" means: the cooling radiator length is 240mm and there are two 120mm fans.

3."280 water cooling" means: the cooling radiator length is 280mm and there are two 140mm fans.

4."360 water cooling"means: the cooling radiator length is 360mm and there are three 120mm fans.

Generally speaking, for water-cooled radiators of the same brand and series, the longer the radiator with the more fans, and the better the heat dissipation effect. Therefore, in terms of heat dissipation capacity: "360 water cooling" > "280 water cooling" > "240 water cooling" > "120 Water cooled”. Comparing the heat dissipation effects of air cooling and water cooling, the measured heat dissipation effect of the weakest water cooling "120 water cooling" is not as good as the mainstream air cooling radiator of about 100RMB, while the top air cooling can even beat the "240 water cooling" or even the "280 Water cooled.

For today's electronics manufacturers, it is becoming increasingly necessary to find the right thermal design. This is because using off-the-shelf heat sinks may not be sufficient to fully meet the complex thermal requirements of many products and systems currently being manufactured. Fortunately, there are many thermal management solutions that can be analyzed through thermal simulation before designing a custom heat sink to become the best thermal design solution.

A common problem faced by manufacturers is finding the right thermal design so that heat is optimally transferred from the heat sink or inside the heat sink. Dissipating heat from the heat source to the heat sink often forces designers to use thicker, more thermally conductive heat sinks, reducing other necessary characteristics such as surface area. To avoid heat sinks and maximize surface area, some thermal designers use heat pipes to transfer heat directly from the heat source to the heat sink. Heat pipes use the vaporization of a liquid to absorb large amounts of heat and transfer it elsewhere. They can be used as external or internal components of a radiator. They provide an important thermal design solution when space is limited by transferring heat from a heat source (such as the CPU in a laptop) to another heat sink. As an internal feature of the heat sink, heat pipes transfer heat to the cooling side fins without damaging the fin structure with optimal surface area. Another necessity for designing for thermal efficiency is finding a good ventilation system. In order for a heat sink to work properly, the fan must dissipate heat from the surrounding area. The best cooling systems use larger fans because they provide an exhaust volume proportional to the cooling effect and reduce noise.

Therefore, when manufacturers customize CPU heat sinks, they usually conduct thermal simulation experiments and analysis to find the correct heat dissipation design solution to verify the feasibility of the design and meet customer needs. This process will last for a long time, and continuous experiments are required to prove the feasibility of the plan and finally find the optimal solution.