Cryogenics chilled systems at CeBIT

04 Mar 2008 16:36

Amid the talk of green and power-efficient computing at CeBIT this year, in some cases it is all about faster and cooler — and in one instance, that involves liquid nitrogen

This liquid-cooled system put together by cooling company Zalman is suitable for noise-sensitive environments, where air-conditioning or fans may be too disruptive, the company claims. Korea-based Zalman didn't have a figure for the decibels, but the system was near-noiseless, tucked away in a quiet corner of the CeBIT show in Hanover.

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The inside of this PC, from motherboard maker Foxconn, looks more like a refrigerator.

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If you want to get a system running really cool, there's only one option: liquid nitrogen, as seen in the wings of the Foxconn stand at CeBIT.

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Not so carefully does it: supercooling a motherboard in the heat of a CeBIT exhibition halls requires regular top-ups. Luckily liquid nitrogen is a very good insulator so a little spillage won't harm the electronics.

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Finally the Foxconn staff get the machine to boot, with an expectation that it will reach "something over 5GHz".

Story URL: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,39362120,00.htm