Was just browsing the interwebs like normal people do and I found this:
http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=782
A fanless CPU Cooler. Its the first one i've ever seen, and I didn't even know they existed. I found it really cool, so I thought you all (forum members) would also find it cool.
Holy shit, that thing is HUGE!
yeah, these things have been around forever. In fact the first cpu coolers were passive fanless, it wasn't until much later that fans were put on them.
I remember my first CPU with a heat sink but no fan, 486DX4 100MHz. The 386 I had before didn't have a heatsink at all. I'm not sure the first to have a fan on the heat sink, probably the 133MHz Cyrix or maybe the early AMD socket 7 CPU's. I do remember it being a dinky little fan no bigger than the socket. I ran through many of those AMD K6 CPU's right up to the K6III+ 350MHz that I had overclocked to 600MHz that was a beast in it's day.
From what I know of these modern passive heatsinks they are rated for non-K series Intels, with a passive PSU and a big case with an open design you can build a nice desktop PC and just let the convection air flow keep it all cool. Fit SSD's and you have a computer with no moving parts.
i wonder if you do put a fan on it, is it a super super suuuper good cooler?
like overclocking good?
Yep. Nothing new. Well, the enthusiast level fanless designs are somewhat new, at least for chips made in the last 15 years (I've got a pentium 3 on my self right now that was passively cooled). Infact, some of the better standard tower coolers can be used without a fan on lower power processors.
That looks really nice, its also compatible with my socket, thinking about getting one for myself now. Anybody know if the temps on these things are competitive with watercooling?
Closed loop, probably. Open, I very much doubt it. These fanless coolers are supposed to be competitive with standard tower coolers iirc.
just watched this, blew my mind
what kind of sorcery does it take to make cpu heat power it own heatsink?
http://youtu.be/H0hCN1Y0KHM?t=3m21s
That's awesome!