Intel Prototypes New Cooler for Gulftown CPU
By - Source: Tom's Hardware US
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52 comments
Intel's heatsink and fan goes to the gym, gets beefcake.
Intel retail boxed processors always come packed with a heatsink and fan. While they aren't the most elaborate cooling solutions, they are quiet, efficient, and even adequate for some light overclocking.
Of course, those serious about keeping their hot chips cool will opt for aftermarket solutions. For the upcoming six-core Nehalem-based Gulftown CPU, Intel will be packing it with a tower-style heatsink.
PCWorld.fr snapped pictures of a prototype of the cooler that will be paired with Gulftown. Besides just a bigger heatsink with more fins, the proposed cooler also features four copper heatpipes.
Check out more pictures here.
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Either that or they are giving us a decent cooler just for the heck of it. I'm betting on my first comment, but hoping for the second.
Oh - And Three Cheers for the engineer who *finally* convinced Intel to do away with those Gawdam%$(*#@ed pushpins!
The difference in temps just got a whole lot narrower from stock to aftermarket.
Wonder if this means that Intel will themselves be "overclocking" their CPU's as stock now that they can dissipate heat better. Imagine them OC'ing an i7 860 to an i7 870 and charging the 870's price - all because of a better heatsink.
Either that or they are giving us a decent cooler just for the heck of it. I'm betting on my first comment, but hoping for the second.
The difference in temps just got a whole lot narrower from stock to aftermarket.
Wonder if this means that Intel will themselves be "overclocking" their CPU's as stock now that they can dissipate heat better. Imagine them OC'ing an i7 860 to an i7 870 and charging the 870's price - all because of a better heatsink.
This has been necessary for some time now. Ever since the first quads, the stock intel cooler has become insufficient at cooling the CPU and renders overclocking virtually impossible. Nehalems have higher thermals than Core 2 Quads and I only expect the thermals to continue to go up but better smaller manufacturing processes (32nm) and lower voltages will curb this trend slightly. I'm not worried, my watercooling performs well.
Question: How many nanoseconds will it take before someone decides to put one of these HSFs on the existing (warm...) 1600 quads?
Oh - And Three Cheers for the engineer who *finally* convinced Intel to do away with those Gawdam%$(*#@ed pushpins!
If only Intel didn't have the OEMs by the balls in the Athlon 64 days, unfairly and illegally stealing marketshare....
That design is utter shit though... Look at the lack of a shroud around the fan, it's going to blow air out the sides instead of forcing it through the fins.. Idiots...
the i7 975 are just better binned with unlocked multipliers
It doesn't have the goddamn pushpins.
Doubt table. I'd say this is close to an old Freezer 7. Notice that the Intel one isn't DHT. Also look at the fact that the fan looks like it's 92mm, not 120mm. At any rate, I do hope i9 doesn't go the way of the P4s in terms of thermals.
The advantages is the same as aftermarket coolers, quitter and lower heat, both of which are selling points to everyone. Even the layman that knows nothing about overclocking or what is a good or bad temperature for a CPU is, they can easily understand quit and less heat is easy to sell too.