Intel’s NetBurst microprocessor have always been consuming a lot of power and dissipating a lot of heat. Every new speed-grade of such CPUs requires some changes to their cooling systems making them larger and louder. Next year Intel will unveil extremely fast microprocessors that will be hot as never, simply remember about presumed Prescott 3.40GHz power consumption of 100W. How will the company cool such monster chips down? During the IDF Fall 2003 the gian unveiled some details in regards its future coolers. Thank God, we will not have to use water or any other too advanced cooling technologies.

Apparently, Intel developed a rather simple, but still genial air-cooling system together with AVC, a well-known cooler manufacturer. Heat-sink of the future will not only be round with semicircular fins, but will feature bifurcated fins! As a result, the total area of the heat-sink increases dramatically allowing to dissipate more heat than conventional coolers are able to while retaining a not very large diameter. The solution will have a special copper core inside the aluminum heat-sink in order to provide the lowest possible thermal resistance for the core of Intel Prescott or Intel Tejas processors.

The diameter of this astonishing cooler will not be too large, only about 90mm, and will allow installation of very high-performance processors in relatively small cases. Intel will also reconsider the design of retention mechanism for the cooler. Separate retention mechanisms pre-assembled to mainboards are not longer needed: cooling-solutions for microprocessors will be supplied in a state ready for installation that will still be extremely simple.

What is very nice about the new fan is that it will not only cool-down 100W – 120W processors, but will also be able to help cooling the voltage regulators and MCH.

In an attempt to further minimize the noise generated by CPU fans, Intel will also introduce a new 4-pin header for such fans. This one will allow to control the fan’s speed, a feature a lot of enthusiasts have been waiting for years now!

Currently Intel is actively promoting the reference design of such coolers among manufacturers and is looking further for even more effective air-cooling solutions.