Tue 18 Aug 2009
According to ComputerWorld, HP is about to offer liquid cooling on two of its workstation models because it can decrease the amount noise they produce by up to 10 decibels.
With liquid cooling the fan that cools a processor can be replaced by cold plates that conduct the heat from the processors to a liquid. That liquid then circulates into a reservoir where a slower moving fan disperses the heat. Due to the fact that the fans are moving at a much lower speed the noise the computers produce is also much less.
Here’s an example of the difference liquid cooling can make. An air-cooled z800 workstation running under a heavy CPU load will generate 38 dB of sound, which is close to the noise of a refrigerator. A z800 with liquid cooling will produce 30 dB under a heavy load, which is the sound level of a whisper.
To learn more about HP’s liquid cooling from ComputerWorld click here.