Introduction - Intel E7500 Design Manual

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Introduction

As the complexity of computer systems increases, so do the power dissipation requirements. Care
must be taken to ensure that the additional power is properly dissipated. Heat can be dissipated
using improved system cooling, selective use of ducting, and/or passive heatsinks.
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 simplest and most cost effective method is to improve the inherent system cooling
characteristics 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.
The goal of this document is to provide an understanding of the operating limits of the
®
Intel E7500 chipset MCH and describe a reference thermal solution. Properly designed solutions
provide adequate cooling to maintain the MCH die temperatures within thermal specifications.
This is accomplished by providing a low local-ambient temperature, ensuring adequate local
airflow, and minimizing the die to local-ambient thermal resistance. By maintaining the MCH die
temperature within the range recommended in this document, the system designer can ensure the
proper functionality, performance, and reliability of the chipset.
This document addresses thermal design and specifications for the MCH component only. For
thermal design information on other chipset components, refer to the respective component
datasheet. For the P64H2, refer to the Intel
Mechanical Design Guidelines.
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Intel E7500 MCH Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines
®
PCI/PCI-X 64-bit Hub 2 (P64H2) Thermal and
Introduction
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