NEC Corp., NEC Personal Products Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. have jointly developed a silent liquid cooling system for use in desktop personal computers.
The new system is reportedly able to reduce the noise generated by the computer to approximately 25 dB (A), about 1/3 of an NEC machine equipped with an existing liquid cooling system. The latest system will be employed in NEC's 2007 autumn models added to the desktop personal computer lineup.
The biggest feature of the latest system is the "multiple-heat-source cooling capability," which cools the microprocessor and the HDD with the liquid.
In order to minimize the noise from a computer, NEC has developed a method to reduce seek noise, etc., by covering the HDD with a sound absorbing material and placing it in a metal box for additional sound insulation.
However, because the sound absorbing material has a high heat insulation effect, it is necessary to provide a certain means to cool the heat generated in the HDD. Thus, NEC has decided to adopt a method to cool not only the microprocessor but also the HDD.
NEC requested that Hitachi, which has technologies relating to liquid cooling systems, collaborate in development. Hitachi has thus far provided liquid cooling system-related technologies to NEC. And it has reportedly been promoting a research on the liquid cooling system that is able to cool multiple heat sources since about 2005.
Hitachi will be in charge of manufacturing the liquid cooling system. The company established a production line for the liquid cooling system at its optical disc drive plant in Malaysia in fall 2006.
Since January 2007, the line has produced liquid cooling systems that can cool two microprocessors for use in higher-end Hewlett-Packard workstations.
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