Cooler Master to Use 'Horizontal Vapor Chambers' in Future CPU Coolers

[Tharic-Nar]

In our notebooks and on top of the processors on our graphics cards, Vapor Chamber cooling technology is not too rare. But with desktop CPU coolers, it's not only rare, but non-existent (to our knowledge). That is until now, of course, as Cooler Master has just announced its plans to begin releasing CPU coolers that utilize a "Horizontal Vapor Chamber".

You can read the rest of our post and discuss here.

[Jakal]

I'm very interested to see how this goes. Newer processors are running cooler so having more efficient heat displacement should make pushing these chips easier. There has to be a break point at which coolant no longer vaporizes though. and cooling beyond that has little gain.

Boil points of coolants used:
Distilled, De-Ionized water - 100C = 212F
Methanol - 65C = 149F
Acetone - 56C = 133F

Vapor Chamber - Cooler Masterr

How do Vapor Chambers work?
As the coolant molecules are heated they change phases. The vaporized coolant convects freely through the chamber. The Molecules then condense on cold surfaces, dissipate their heat load, and are channeled back to the coolant reservoir.

So does this mean cooling the chamber below 56C (using Acetone) has little to no effect?

We have ammonia chillers at our plants that drop incoming air from ~100F down to 45F. Same principles apply but I don't know if there's enough volume, or that they can handle the pressure, for it to work well.

Edit: I don't know if this technology is being used on graphics chips but I bet that platform will give the best result. Especially if my boiling point/cooling factor theory is correct. On second thought, the liquid only works sitting atop the chip, and usually they're facing downwards. I'd imagine that can be changed but requires OEM intervention.

[Tharic-Nar]

This is the same tech used in GPUs, yes. While you are technically correct with the boiling points, they are not the points used in a vapor chamber. Those boiling points are at sea level. Enclosed loops like these put the water in at low pressure, almost vacuum levels, so the boiling point is significantly lower. It's so low in fact that they 'boil' at nearly any change in external temperature (even at sub-zero temperatures).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pipe