Heatsink
pcA thermal management device that dissipates heat away from electronic components.
expanded
A heatsink is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic component into the surrounding cooling medium, usually air. In personal computers (PCs), heatsinks play a critical role in maintaining optimal temperatures for components such as central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), thus preventing overheating and maintaining system performance.
examples
The Noctua NH-D15 is a dual-tower heatsink with aluminum fins and heat pipes that can dissipate up to 220W of thermal design power (TDP).
Commonly used in performance-oriented desktop PCs to cool high-end CPUs, especially in scenarios requiring sustained high processing power, such as gaming or video editing.
The Corsair Hydro Series H100i RGB PLATINUM is an all-in-one liquid cooler with a radiator functioning as a heatsink. The 240 mm radiator provides efficient heat dissipation for advanced cooling needs.
Typically utilized in gaming PCs and workstations where space is limited, allowing for efficient thermal management even under heavy load conditions.