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Intel
®
E8500 /E8501Chipset North Bridge (NB) and eXternal Memory 7
Bridge (XMB) Thermal/Mechanical Design Guide
1 Introduction
As the complexity of computer systems increases, so do the power dissipation requirements. Care
must be taken to ensure that the additional power is properly dissipated. Typical methods to
improve heat dissipation include selective use of ducting, and/or passive heatsinks.
The goals of this document are to:
• Outline the thermal and mechanical operating limits and specifications for the
Intel
®
E8500/E8501 chipset North Bridge (NB) component and the Intel
®
E8500/E8501
chipset eXternal Memory Bridge (XMB) component.
• Describe two reference thermal solutions that meet the specification of the E8500/E8501
chipset NB component.
• Describe a reference thermal solution that meets the specification of the E8500/E8501 chipset
XMB component.
Properly designed thermal solutions provide adequate cooling to maintain the E8500/E8501
chipset die temperatures at or below thermal specifications. This is accomplished by providing a
low local-ambient temperature, ensuring adequate local airflow, and minimizing the die to local-
ambient thermal resistance. By maintaining the E8500/E8501 chipset die temperature at or below
the specified limits, a system designer can ensure the proper functionality, performance, and
reliability of the chipset. Operation outside the functional limits can degrade system performance
and may cause permanent changes in the operating characteristics of the component.
The simplest and most cost effective method to improve the inherent system cooling characteristics
is through careful chassis design and placement of fans, vents, and ducts. When additional cooling
is required, component thermal solutions may be implemented in conjunction with system thermal
solutions. The size of the fan or heatsink can be varied to balance size and space constraints with
acoustic noise.
This document addresses thermal design and specifications for the E8500/E8501 chipset NB and
XMB components only. For thermal design information on other chipset components, refer to the
respective component datasheet. For the Intel
®
6700PXH 64-bit PCI Hub, refer to the
Intel
®
6700PXH 64-bit PCI Hub Thermal Design Guidelines. For the ICH5, refer to the
Intel
®
82801EB I/O Controller Hub 5 (ICH5) and Intel
®
82801ER I/O Controller Hub 5 R
(ICH5R) Thermal Design Guide.
1.1 Design Flow
To develop a reliable, cost-effective thermal solution, several tools have been provided to the
system designer. Figure 1-1 illustrates the design process implicit to this document and the tools
appropriate for each step.