Discussion
What is the purpose of a heat sink in a computer?
Answer: B
Correct answer: To draw heat away from a component and dissipate it into the air
A heat sink is a block of metal, usually aluminium or copper, cut into fins and clamped to a component. It conducts heat away from the component and presents a large surface area to the air, so the heat is carried off - usually with a fan blowing across the fins. It is needed because a modern processor dissipates tens or hundreds of watts in a few square centimetres, and silicon fails rapidly above about 100°C. Processors protect themselves by thermal throttling, reducing their clock speed as they approach the limit, and shutting down entirely if it is exceeded - so inadequate cooling shows up first as unexplained slowness rather than as failure. Thermal paste is applied between the component and the sink to fill the microscopic gaps that would otherwise trap insulating air. Larger systems use liquid cooling, circulating fluid to a radiator, where air cooling cannot remove the heat fast enough.
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