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MSI prototype for future graphics card cooling looks impressive and expensive
Assuming the next generation of graphics cards is more power-hungry than the previous generation, we could end up stuck trying to keep them cool. I mean, look at the RTX 4090, it’s already huge. Our PC cases can’t take more. But cooling isn’t just about bigger and bigger heatsinks, and at Computex 2023, MSI showed off several concepts it’s working on that could reduce GPU temperatures by as much as 10 degrees.
The first new cooling method is called dynamic bimetallic fins, which are essentially a fin sandwich. It can be said that the bread is composed of two aluminum sheets, and the delicious filling is a copper sheet. The combined heatsink ends up being about 1mm thick, about 3-4 times thicker than a normal single heatsink, but the mix of metals helps dissipate heat better—a 3°C drop in temperature, according to MSI.
One downside is definitely the cost of this creation. Three times the fins, three times the material. Not to mention that more complex processes can be more expensive to manufacture. Although MSI did tell me that you could theoretically use a much smaller heatsink than the aluminum heatsinks commonly found in graphics cards today and still get decent temperatures.
The next concept is to use a TEC or thermoelectric cooler called Arctic Blast. The TEC board covers the GPU and memory, and the liquid coolant transfers heat to the heatsink.There may be issues dealing with the condensation that often occurs with such coolers, but CPU TEC block Handled that part well, so that could be wonderful. In return, this option does offer a below-ambient temperature benefit, which is better than any cooler can manage, though it does require a fair amount of power to run.
MSI lists some benefits of the TEC design, namely high cooling capacity even at small size and overclocking potential. I have to say the concept intrigues me, but I don’t think it will be affordable in any way if it actually hits the market. TEC modules aren’t cheap, and neither is the graphics card – it’s sure to be a very expensive combination.
A probably cheaper and more likely option is a 3D vapor chamber. MSI calls them MSI DynaVC. It’s basically the graphics card’s vapor chamber and heatpipe in one, which means no soldering required. According to MSI, this reduces the heat transfer distance and allows heat to spread more efficiently between the main GPU base and the heatpipe.
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The only problem is that MSI told me that its original tests haven’t shown a significant improvement in cooling from the new 3D vapor chamber, but it’s still investigating the concept’s potential.
Then there’s FushionChill, a concept that takes one of the few high-end all-in-one cooled graphics cards available today and reimagines it in a smaller, smarter version. Essentially, FushionChill is a liquid-cooled GPU, with every component (including the heatsink, which is usually connected by pipes on today’s graphics cards) inside the graphics card’s shroud.
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The key to FushionChill is an advanced heat sink that is deeper and has greater fin spacing. MSI expects the end result to be the best cooling of any of the above concepts – up to 10 degrees Celsius lower.
The important thing to remember is that, in theory, some of these designs could be combined into a single graphics card. MSI told me it’s open to the idea, I’m guessing Dynamic Bimetallic Fins and 3D vapor chambers could work together. I did ask MSI if it planned to use any of these designs in the next generation, but the company’s representatives didn’t say. It’s just that they can be used to reduce the size of existing shields or for more powerful cards.
Graphics cards are going to get bigger, more powerful, and more power-hungry, so at some point, we’ll likely see GPU makers get more creative with how they cool them. These are just concepts today, but maybe one of these options will become more mainstream.
Maybe an MSI TEC RTX 5090?