Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Liquid Metal Cooling in New ATI Video Card

Posted by timothy on from the not-that-that's-excessive-or-anything dept.

MellowTigger writes "Water cooling is so passe, definitely 20th-century. What's the 21st-century geek to do to keep his gaming video card cool? Try the liquid metal technology that will be included in the ATI Radeon X850 XT video card using the cooling technology from Sapphire. This material is reported to be non-flammable, non-toxic, environmentally safe... and 65 times more thermally conductive than water."

6 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This can't be good. by Velox_SwiftFox · · Score: 5, Informative

    61% Gallium
    25% Indium
    13% Tin
    1% Zinc

    Solid at 6.5C
    Liquid at 7.6C

  2. Gallium by nickptar · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm pretty sure they're using gallium. It melts at 85F, is nontoxic (unlike mercury), and is nonflammable (unlike rubidium, cesium, sodium, and potassium, the only other metals I know of that melt at reasonable temperatures for a graphics card). Gallium also has almost exactly 65 times the thermal conductivity of water.

    1. Re:Gallium by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Informative

      I think you may be right.

      I just found an article in new scientist:


      And now, NanoCoolers, based in Texas, US, has developed a liquid metal cooling system that promises to be even quieter and more efficient. The system draws heat away from a circuit by pumping liquid gallium alloy through a series of pipes. The temperature of the liquid is brought back down to normal within an ambient air-cooled chamber.
      link here

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
  3. Think of it as an improved heat sink by Greg+Hullender · · Score: 5, Informative
    Several metals or alloys are liquid below the boiling point of water. My favorite is "Wood's Metal," which is used to make gag teaspoons. (They melt in your coffee -- but don't drink it!) http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/WO/woods_metal.html Gallium melts at an even lower point, but looks to be harder to handle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallium None of these, though, has a higher specific heat than water, but, of course, they're claiming superior heat conduction, so perhaps the best way to think of it (whatever metal they chose) is as a very, very elaborate heat sink.

    --Greg

  4. Re:Non Toxic Liquid Metal? by John+Meacham · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yeah, galinstan is liquid at room temperature and quite safe (compared to mercury). I have a vial of it on my desk. fun stuff.

    make your own, it is 68.5% Ga, 21.5% In, 10% Sn or you can buy it online.

    A cool application is to make a _perfect_ parabolic mirror. You do this by spinning a puddle of it. The centrifugal force pulls it against the sides and is countered by gravity pulling down the center making a perfect mirror for a tesescope always pointing exactly straight up.

    --
    http://notanumber.net/
  5. Re:leakage by pcmanjon · · Score: 5, Informative

    " Darn, the T2 joke has already been made *thinks of other joke to get karma..*"

    Actually, Humor karma doesn't go on your karma record. Check the faq about karma.