integrated HSF?

[DrMrLordX]

I'm curious as to whether or not any CPU manufacturer(or any processor manufacturer/reseller that markets products that use heatsinks of any kind) has produced a CPU package with the HSF built into the package. If you think about it, it would almost eliminate the need for a head spreader, as the chip company could simply set up the integrated heatsink to make optimal contact with the die.

In fact, if they could tailor-fit the HSF to the die well enough, it might even be possible to attach a HSF without using any TIM(by eliminating all the gaps filled by TIM in existing HSF setups). I don't know if that would be feasible.

 

[ribbon13]

If you understand what TIM is and how it works, you'd know that it will always exist for ICs that need to be heatsinked, because the silicon will always need to be insulated from the metal of the HSF, and all the things used to do that generally have all the pits and gaps that make TIM necessary.

I could see this for maybe an esoteric CPU with only one available clockspeed, but otherwise it donesn't make any sense.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Interesting points. Of course, if the HSF weren't made of metal . . . then it might not conduct heat very well either.

 

[Viditor]

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
I'm curious as to whether or not any CPU manufacturer(or any processor manufacturer/reseller that markets products that use heatsinks of any kind) has produced a CPU package with the HSF built into the package. If you think about it, it would almost eliminate the need for a head spreader, as the chip company could simply set up the integrated heatsink to make optimal contact with the die.

In fact, if they could tailor-fit the HSF to the die well enough, it might even be possible to attach a HSF without using any TIM(by eliminating all the gaps filled by TIM in existing HSF setups). I don't know if that would be feasible.

Several have done so...most notably, PCChips used to do it consistently on their Celeron OEM rigs. Made it very difficult to upgrade!