What Is A Heat Sink?

Date First Published: 23rd February 2024

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Hardware

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 6/10

CONTENTS

Fin Arrangements

Learn about what a heat sink is in this article.

A heat sink is a component that absorbs excessive or unwanted heat. It is made out of metal and is attached to the processor with a thermal material that draws the heat from away the processor towards the heat sink. In computers, heat sinks are used to cool CPUs, GPUs, video cards, and RAM modules.

CPUs and GPUs generate heat by performing calculations. If the heat is not kept in check, the processor could overheat and destroy itself. The heat sink draws the heat away from the processor, preventing it from overheating. All modern CPUs require a heat sink.

Fin Arrangements

Most heat sinks also have "fins", which are thin slices of metal that are connected to the base of the heat sink. These extra pieces of metal further draw the heat away by spreading it over a much larger area. To prevent the heat sink from getting too hot, a fan is often used to cool the air surrounding the heat sink.

The pins can be cylindrical, elliptical, or square. A second type of heat sink fin arrangement is the straight fin. A variation on the straight fin heat sink is a cross-cut heat sink. A third type of heat sink is the flared fin heat sink, where the fins are not parallel to one another. Flaring the fins decreases flow resistance and makes more air go through the heat-sink fin channel or else more air would bypass the fins. Slanting them keeps the overall dimensions the same, but offers longer fins.