heat sink
Also known as:
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A heat sink is a metal heat conductor attached to a microprocessor to help spread out heat. Heat sinks can be found on most CPUs and high-end video chips. Heat from the processor passes though a very thin layer thermally conductive glue or paste into the heat sink. The heat then speads out over the heat sink, which often has many thin ridges or fins to allow maximum air contact, so the heat can escape to the air. Often a fan is added to help move heated air away from the heat sink. For many processors, removing the heat sink while running can cause the processor to burn out and irreparably damage itself in just seconds.
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