Dell Laptop Uses Intel's New Cooling Design

Tuesday Dell introduced the ultra-portable Vostro V130, one of the slimmest and lightest 13-inch laptops available measuring 0.65-inches at the front, 0.78-inches at the back, and weighing at least 3.5 pounds. But perhaps one of the notebook's more notable features is the implementation of Intel's new Hyperbaric Cooling, one of the first to use the new Advanced Cooling Technology.

Unlike typical fans which push hot air outwards, Hyperbaric Cooling uses an internal fan that pulls air into the laptop from the left side, cooling off key components to prevent overheating. The heat is collected in the airflow and then pushed out the right side of the laptop. This design allows for quieter laptops because the fan can run at lower speeds.

However in the case of Dell's new laptop, images don't show ventilation ports on the left and right sides. Instead, entry and exit ports are mounted on the rear. This could indicate that the device uses two fans to pull in and maneuver the air across the components, and then back out into the open.

"By using cold air directly from the outside and then directly blowing across the hot components, you create a more efficient cooling solution," said Rajiv Mongia, a principal engineer at Intel. "This is because by blowing air across the components, you create more intense convective cooling and often get more cooling flow through the platform."

Dell said that the new laptop was designed with the needs and wants of on-the-go entrepreneurs in mind. The chassis is constructed from sturdy aluminum and reinforced with zinc hinges and a magnesium alloy palm rest, able to survive everyday bumps and thumps.

Starting at $429, the Vostro V130 offers a choice of Intel Core i5, i3 and Celeron Dual Core CPUs, up to 4 GB of DDR3 SDRAM at 1333 MHz, an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, a 13.3-inch HD WLED display with Anti-Glare (1366 x 768), up to 500 GB via a 7,200 RPM SATA hard drive and more.

"With the V130, we are adding the functionality customers asked for without sacrificing the beautiful design they fell in love with in the V13," said Sam Burd, vice president, Consumer, Small and Medium Business Product Group, Dell. “Starting today, I predict the V130 will fast become the must-have travel companion for today’s mobile professional."

  • burnley14
    So this new cooling system cools off components by blowing colder outside air across them? Wow, this is pretty revolutionary stuff.
    Reply
  • DokkRokken
    Yeah, gee I would've never thought that actively blowing cool air into a device would allow for cooler, quieter, more efficient operation of the internal components. I guess that's why I didn't get into MIT.
    Reply
  • miicah
    And Dell has stumbled across something PC cooling enthusiasts have known for years.
    Reply
  • zolutar
    uhh in the older systems, didnt the fan have to blow out hot air? in turn cold air comes in to replace it no? so whats so revolutionary here?
    Reply
  • thlillyr
    Wow how many millions of R&D was spent to figure out that blowing On components is better than trying to suck air off them. Hello? This is the standard for desktop solutions. ALL FANS BLOW ON COMPNENTS OR ACROSS THEM WITH AN EXHAUST FAN to eliminate the heat from the case. Holly freaking crap this isn't rocket science. This is more Bill Nye stuff.
    Reply
  • Dizzy21
    So props to Tom's for reporting on important industry revelations, but boo on Intel (and Dell on principle) for drumming this idea up with marketing and charging more for fans that have been reversed. Seriously, someone flipped a switch on a robot and now they charge more for the computer. Congratulations you marketing maniacs.
    Reply
  • tipoo
    Marketing shenanigans aside, I'm glad for any advancement. I have a Studio 15 which has been a pretty good laptop, but I hate Dell's fan speed scheme which leaves the fan off most of the time, then kicks it up to one of 4-5 preset speeds instead of ramping up gradually. Quieter laptops are something they definitely had to work on.
    Reply
  • teknomedic
    yeah, I don't really get it either. So instead of the fan being at the rear of the cooling/vent system it's now at the front????

    Then on top of that they call it something that sounds "coo", but is just plain dumb.
    Reply
  • sceen311
    these guys deserve a cookie.
    Reply
  • mister g
    Anybody else thinking that dust might be an even bigger problem here? I'd like to see how well they designed this solution so the fan on the left doesn't suddenly become a vacuum cleaner when the fan kicks up.
    Reply