Intel® I/O Controller Hub 10 (ICH10) Family Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines

Intel® I/O Controller Hub 10 Family: Thermal Design Guide

The objective of thermal management is to ensure that the temperatures of all components in a system are maintained within functional limits. The functional temperature limit is the range within which the electrical circuits can be expected to meet specified performance requirements. Operation outside the functional limit can degrade system performance, cause logic errors, or cause component and/or system damage. Temperatures exceeding the maximum operating limits may result in irreversible changes in the operating characteristics of the component. The goal of this document is to provide an understanding of the operating limits of the Intel® ICH10 component.

As the complexity of computer systems increases, so do power dissipation requirements. The additional power of next generation systems must be properly dissipated. Heat can be dissipated using improved system cooling, selective use of ducting, and/or passive heatsinks.

The simplest and most cost-effective method is to improve the inherent system cooling characteristics of the ICH10 through careful design and placement of fans, vents, and ducts. When additional cooling is required, component thermal solutions may be implemented in conjunction with system thermal solutions. The size of the fan or heatsink can be varied to balance size and space constraints with acoustic noise.

This document presents the conditions and requirements to properly design a cooling solution for systems that implement the ICH10 component. Properly designed solutions provide adequate cooling to maintain the ICH10 component case temperature at or below thermal specifications. This is accomplished by providing a low local-ambient temperature, ensuring adequate local airflow, and minimizing the case to local-ambient thermal resistance. By maintaining the ICH10 component case temperature at or below maximum specifications, a system designer can ensure the proper functionality, performance, and reliability of this component.

Read the full Intel® I/O Controller Hub 10 Family Thermal Design Guide.