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Reference Thermal Solution
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Intel
®
955X Express Chipset Thermal/Mechanical Design Guide 17
6 Reference Thermal Solution
Intel has developed a reference thermal solution designed to meet the cooling needs of the MCH
under operating environments and specifications defined in this document. This chapter describes
the overall requirements for the Plastic Wave Soldering Heatsink (PWSH) reference thermal
solution including critical-to-function dimensions, operating environment, and validation criteria.
Other chipset components may or may not need attached thermal solutions, depending on your
specific system local-ambient operating conditions. For information on the ICH7, refer to thermal
specification in the Intel
®
I/O Controller Hub 7 (ICH7) Thermal Design Guidelines.
6.1 Operating Environment
The reference thermal solution was designed assuming a maximum local-ambient temperature of
55 °C. The minimum recommended airflow velocity through the cross section of the heatsink fins
is 350 linear feet per minute (lfm). The approaching airflow temperature is assumed to be equal to
the local-ambient temperature. The thermal designer must carefully select the location to measure
airflow to obtain an accurate estimate. These local-ambient conditions are based on a 35 °C
external-ambient temperature at sea level. (External-ambient refers to the environment external to
the system.)
6.2 Heatsink Performance
Figure 6-1 depicts the measured thermal performance of the reference thermal solution versus
approach air velocity. Since this data was measured at sea level, a correction factor would be
required to estimate thermal performance at other altitudes.