Heatsink
Also called: heat sink, cooler
A finned metal part fitted on a chip to move its heat into the air or a liquid. Found on ASICs, GPUs and AI servers.
A heatsink is an aluminium or copper part placed directly on a component that heats up: an ASIC chip, a graphics processor, memory or a power stage. Its finned shape greatly increases the surface in contact with the air, so it can remove much more heat than a bare chip.
The principle is simple: heat passes from the chip into the heatsink by conduction, through a thermal paste or pad that fills the microscopic gaps, and is then released into the air that the fans push between the fins. On an ASIC miner, each hashboard carries a row of heatsinks. On data center GPUs such as the NVIDIA H200, the heatsink is often passive: the card has no fan of its own and relies on the server's powerful airflow.
A clogged heatsink or dried-out thermal paste raises temperatures and can cause performance drops or shutdowns. On a used machine or after several years of operation, cleaning and replacing the thermal paste often brings temperatures back to normal. Before installing a passive GPU, make sure your chassis delivers the airflow required by the manufacturer.
Our NVIDIA H200 page presents this type of card, and our repair service in France can work on the cooling of your machines.