X-bit labs

MSI Moving Towards “Green Computing”.

Category: Mainboards

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 03/05/2008 | 12:15 PM ]

Energy conservation and clean environment are the two primary matters that most computer hardware manufacturers take into account first hand lately. For example, CPU makers introduce power-saving technologies into their solutions, and the mainboard manufacturers follow into their footsteps, too. ASUS and Gigabyte, for instance, offer new mainboards that disabled processor PWM phases depending on the workload thus saving power.

MSI went a little further than that. Since they already have very efficient power design, company engineers did more and are currently trying to offer the total ECO solution. Namely, MSI will bring new life to old technology with new concept on motherboard products and is ready to offer principally new design for an active chipset cooler that doesn’t require any additional power for its operation. They are going to use a well-known Stirling hot air engine that transforms the difference in chipset and ambient temperature into mechanical power rotating the fan.

The “Air Power Cooler” transfers the chipset heat into air momentum, when the air becomes hot, the air will expand then push the fan to rotate and In doing so cooling the heatsink immediately. After the air moves from the bottom to top of the piston, the air will become heavy to push the up piston down. The better air piston design can transfer over 70% heat power and transfer to air power, that’s great efficiency transfer from Stirling engine theory. In a comparison with solar power the transfer rate is only around 20-30% requiring more surface and as a result cost.

MSI’s “Air Power Cooler” based on Stirling Engine theory was developed by MSI together with Polo-Tech Taiwan Company, the exclusive heat transfer technical design company with their own patent rights.

As of today, the “Air Power Cooler” design is not finalized yet and MSI is demonstrating only prototypes of this technology. However, the first mainboard to accommodate this solution is expected to be P35 Neo3.

It would be great if no economical obstacles hinder the commercial implementation of this cooling principle, because an engine like that may turn out more expensive to make than a traditional cooler with an electric fan.