Introduction; Terminology - Intel ICH8 - MECHANICAL Design Manual

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Introduction

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
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 ICH8 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 ICH8 component. Properly designed solutions provide adequate cooling
to maintain the ICH8 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 ICH8 component case
temperature at or below maximum specifications, a system designer can ensure the proper
functionality, performance, and reliability of this component.
Note: This document only applies to the desktop implementation of the Intel
Note: Unless otherwise specified, the term ICH8 refers to the Intel
family.
Note: References to RAID in this document only apply to the Intel
with RAID capabilities.
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Terminology

Term
mBGA
T
T
C-MAX
Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines
Mini Ball Grid Array. Smaller versions of the BGA with a ball pitch of 1.07 mm. Wirebonded
package with die encased with a mold encapsulant.
The measured case temperature of a component. It is generally measured at the geometric
C
center of the die or case, as specified in the component documentation.
The maximum case/die temperature.
®
ICH8 component.
®
ICH8 component.
®
I/O Controller Hub 8 (ICH8) desktop
®
82801HR ICH8R I/O Controller Hub
Description
Introduction
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