Optimization of the ArctiCooler for lowest thermal resistance in a minimum volume

The trends in processor power are increasing at an alarming rate with each generation of processor as clock speeds are being pushed beyond 1 GHz. Processor power is predicted to reach the 200 watt level in the next 3 to 5 years. This may have a severe impact on architecture of future systems, especially desktop machines that must operate quietly in the office or home environment. The ArctiCooler was developed by Hewlett-Packard just for this purpose; to cool high-power processors at minimal noise levels. This paper describes the steps taken to optimize the ArctiCooler (alias TurboCooler) to achieve the lowest thermal resistance possible in a minimum volume.