We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Hardware

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Fanless Heatsink?

By R. Kayne
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 7,496
Share

A motherboard heatsink is a cooling device installed on computer processing units (CPUs) and chipsets. There are two basic types of heatsinks: active and passive. An active heatsink employs a fan, while a passive model is fanless. The fan included in an active heatsink helps cool the surface of the device for added efficiency, while a fanless heatsink uses more surface area to dissipate heat, compensating for lack of a fan. Advantages of a fanless heatsink include silent operation and avoidance of potential chip damage due to fan failure.

A heatsink is made of affordable materials that have a high rate of thermal conduction, or the ability to act as a funnel for heat dissipation. Aluminum alloys are lightweight and inexpensive. Copper is heavier and a bit costlier, but has twice the thermal conduction rating of aluminum. Some heatsinks are made of both materials.

A heatsink has a square base designed to fit over the chip face. The base supports rows of vertical pins or fins, depending on the design, that may be angled or straight. While the base allows heat to move from the chip into the heatsink, the pins or fins create sheer surface area that remains cooler than the base. Heat is naturally drawn into the cooler areas where airflow allows the heat to dissipate.

An active heatsink features a small fan over the fins to help this process of cooling along. A fanless heatsink relies on case fans for air circulation. Since this is less direct method, a passive heatsink is typically much larger than its cousin, providing more surface area for greater efficiency. Due to the larger footprint that most passive heatsinks have, they can be tricky to fit into smaller cases and measurements should be taken for tolerances prior to purchase.

Heatsinks attach to chips through various means, depending on the model and the chip it is designed to cool. The attachment methods include z-clips, spring-loaded arms, and other methods, but they all apply a load to the heatsink to ensure excellent contact between the base and chip. Due to the extra weight of a fanless heatsink, some models require removal of the motherboard to install a more stable retention system.

Regardless of the method used to attach a heatsink, a thermal compound must be placed between the heatsink and chip to fill microscopic voids that would otherwise trap air, reducing thermal conduction between the two surfaces. Thermal tape is a low-cost product that is sometimes used, but generally thermal pads or tubed grease products are more highly recommended. Many websites are dedicated to the testing of these compounds, which can contain silver and micronized diamonds. Whether passive or active, a heatsink should never be used without thermal compound.

While some might find the somewhat massive, fanless heatsink an eyesore, its silent operation is music to the ears for those interested in keeping down the decibels. More importantly, there is no way for it to fail when properly installed on the correct chip. If an active heatsink’s fan stops working, it can easily go unnoticed until it’s too late. A heatsink designed to work with a fan will not be able to keep a chip cool for long, once its fan stops spinning.

When researching products for possible purchase, be sure to check with the manufacturer of the CPU or chipset first for recommendations and relevant warranty information. Some heatsinks and even some compounds might be pre-approved by the manufacturer, and using a fanless heatsink that is not tested or approved might affect or even void the chip’s warranty. Once you know the possible models and compounds you can choose from, user forums are a great place to get additional advice and feedback, and many online retailers feature customer reviews.

Share
EasyTechJunkie is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-is-a-fanless-heatsink.htm
Copy this link
EasyTechJunkie, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

EasyTechJunkie, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.