Cpu Heatsink And Fan Definition

If this heat is not kept in check the processor could overheat and eventually destroy itself.

Cpu heatsink and fan definition.

The heatsink a large block of copper or aluminum draws the heat away from the cpu and the fan then cools the heatsink. A computer s cpu may perform millions of calculations every second. As the name suggests it is composed of a passive cooling unit the heat sink and a fan. Fans and heat sinks together this chip coolers fan sits on top of a heat sink to cool a hot running cpu chip.

Usually heat sinks are outfitted with built in fans to help keep both the cpu and the heat sink at an appropriate temperature. The simplest cooler is an aluminum heat sink which absorbs and disperses the heat. In computers heat sinks are used to cool cpus gpus and some chipsets and ram modules. As the processor continues to work at a rapid pace it begins to generate heat.

Optionally there may be other fans inside the case to blow the heated air. A heat sink is a device that incorporates a fan or another mechanism to reduce the temperature of a hardware component e g processor there are two heat sink types. Stands for heat sink and fan nearly all computers have heat sinks which help keep the cpu cool and prevent it from overheating. A heat sink also commonly spelled heatsink is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium often air or a liquid coolant where it is dissipated away from the device thereby allowing regulation of the device s temperature.

The picture is an example of a heat sink that has both active and passive cooling mechanisms. This can happen if the cpu is running at full capacity for an extended period of time or if the air surrounding the computer is simply too hot.