Introduction to finned heat sinks

The finned heat sink primarily achieves heat dissipation through conduction, involving a medium heat sink that is in direct contact with the processor. After absorbing heat, the heat sink dissipates it through convection. In the convection heat dissipation process, the heat dissipation area is mainly determined by the surface area of the heat dissipation fins. The larger the surface area, the better the heat dissipation effect. The smaller the surface area, the worse the heat dissipation effect.

　　Fin radiatorIt mainly achieves heat dissipation through conduction, involving a medium heat sink that is in direct contact with the processor. The radiator absorbs heat and dissipates it through convection. In the convection heat dissipation process, the heat dissipation area is mainly determined by the surface area of the heat dissipation fins. The larger the surface area, the better the heat dissipation effect. The smaller the surface area, the worse the heat dissipation effect. Common methods in the industry include: increasing the number of fins and increasing the length of the fins. One of the reflected data is 'thickness-to-height ratio', which is the ratio of the thickness to height of the fins. The smaller this value, the denser the fins per unit volume. The more fins there are, the larger the effective heat dissipation surface area, and the better the heat dissipation performance.

The fin radiator plays an important role in dissipating heat to the air. Therefore, it mainly looks at the contact area between the fins and air; that is, more fins lead to better heat dissipation capability. Additionally, since heat pipes are inserted in between the fins, the bonding process also affects thermal conductivity efficiency. Generally speaking, products with thin and dense fins have stronger heat dissipation efficiency during fin cutting. This is because denser fins increase contact area with air, thus increasing what is known as 'thermal capacity'. Under the action of fan airflow, heat is carried away from the radiator, achieving effective heat dissipation.

When choosing a fin radiator, attention should be paid to the distance between fins because a reasonable distance allows for sufficient contact between fin metal and air, ensuring exchange of hot and cold air inside and outside the radiator. It should be noted that denser fins are better. When two fins are pressed together, they cannot effectively dissipate heat. At the same time, if the spacing between adjacent layers of fins is too small, dust can easily accumulate there, leading to poor ventilation and directly affecting heat dissipation performance.

The welding method and welding process of fin radiators also have a significant impact on radiator efficiency because in thermal conduction, heat needs to be transferred from the heat pipe to the fins through welded joints, which play an important role in thermal conduction. Generally speaking, foreign brand radiators have advanced welding technology and high efficiency, which is also a reason for lower efficiency in domestic radiators.

The role of the bottom of a fin radiator is to promptly absorb CPU heat and then conduct it to the radiator. If the thickness at the bottom is insufficient or if it does not make tight contact with the CPU, heat cannot be dissipated in time, leading to increased temperature. To avoid this situation, a simple solution is to thicken the bottom (copper pad) or polish it. Some products directly make contact between heat pipes and CPUs. This way, any heat emitted by the CPU can be promptly absorbed by the base; even if a small amount of heat accumulates in the CPU, it can dissipate on its own without causing temperature rise.