xMEMS, one of the leading companies behind solid-state cooling, has just announced the expansion of its µCooling fan-on-a-chip platform to solid-state drives (SSDs). This innovation will place active cooling components directly onto E3.S SSDs, usually deployed in AI data centers, and NVMe M.2 SSDs, used in desktop and laptop PCs. This arrangement would allow for direct cooling of NAND flash and controller ICs on the SSD, reducing thermal throttling and allowing for sustained higher performance over longer periods.
“SSDs are the data highways of modern computing — but when they overheat, everything slows down,” says xMEMS Labs VP of Marketing Mike Housholder. “µCooling is the only active solution small enough to live inside the SSD, delivering thermal relief exactly where it’s needed to prevent throttling and maintain peak data rates.”
The fan-on-a-chip cooling solution was first envisioned for smartphones and other mobile devices, where the more powerful chips being introduced require better cooling so that phone manufacturers could maximize their potential. While a few gaming smartphones, like those from Asus and Redmagic, already feature active cooling, they’re usually accomplished using fans that add weight and bulk to these devices. They’re also noisy, often emitting a whine when active, which can get annoying for some users in the long run.
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On the other hand, the small size and quiet operation of xMEMS’ fan-on-a-chip would not add any significant heft to mobile phones, and they’re also virtually silent. The company has also expanded the µCooling platform to AI data servers — specifically, on the high-performance optical transceivers used for low-latency data transmission. Its compact design is perfect for deployment in hard-to-reach places, ensuring that even the tiniest, hottest components are cooled and can function optimally.
According to the company, µCooling can remove around 3 watts of heat, reducing the average temperature in SSDs by 18 to 20% and lowering their thermal resistance by 25 to 30%. Aside from increasing SSD performance, xMEMS will also give system designers more flexibility, as they no longer must rely on passive air circulation or air movement from the system’s fans to keep their storage drives cool.
“With µCooling, SSD designers can finally implement true active thermal management without enlarging the drive or depending on system airflow,” Housholder said. “It’s a breakthrough for both hyperscale servers and ultraportable PCs.”
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