Mini PC CPU Heat Sink

This source may be any system that creates heat and requires the removal of said heat to function correctly, such as:

• Mechanical
• Electrical
• Chemical
• Nuclear
• Solar
• Friction

Heat pipes can also aid in this process, but we'll cover those components separately. In direct heat sink-contact applications, heat moves into the heat sink and away from the source via natural conduction. The heat sink material's thermal conductivity directly impacts this process. That's why high thermal conductivity materials such as copper and aluminum are most common in the construction of heat sinks.

Heat will naturally travel through the heat sink via natural conduction moving across the thermal gradient from a high temperature to a low-temperature environment. This ultimately means that the heat sink's thermal profile will not be consistent. As such, heat sinks will often be hotter towards the source and cooler towards the sink's extremities.

This process relies on the heat sink's temperature gradient and its working fluid―most commonly air or a non-electrically-conductive liquid. The working fluid passes across the surface of the warm heat sink and utilizes thermal diffusion and convection to remove heat away from the surface and into the ambient environment. This stage relies on, yet again, a temperature gradient to remove heat from the heat sink. Therefore, if the ambient temperature is not cooler than the heat sink, no convection and subsequent heat removal will occur. This step is also where the total surface area of the heat sink becomes most advantageous. A large surface area provides an increased area for thermal diffusion and convection to occur.