What Is Heat Sink and Fan (HSF)?

When your computer gets overly hot, it can slow down. But you don't have to sit there and watch while it happens—you can do something about it! Heat Sink and Fan (HSF) is an active cooling solution that helps keep your computer running smoothly by removing excess heat from the CPU. That way, no matter how much work you're doing, you can be sure your machine is always working at top speeds. The heat sink is usually created from a high-temperature conductive material such as aluminum or copper. It absorbs heat from the chip and transfers it to the fan blades for dispersal into the air around your computer. The fan is a DC brushless fan, the standard used for computer systems. Computers are like people—they need to breathe. If you're worried about your computer's health, you might wonder what it needs to breathe and how you ensure it has plenty of air. The answer is simple: add a heat sink and fan. The computer's heat sink takes in heat from the processor, while the fan helps keep the heat sink cool by moving air through it. This combination is often located in most low- to mid-range computer systems and high-end notebooks. However, a more powerful cooling solution is required for PCs and computer systems with a more powerful processor, such as liquid cooling. The heat sink is an essential component of your computer. It's the thing you want to think about when you have to, but it also makes your computer possible. The heat sink is what maintains your computer cool. It's a giant fan for your processor, and it works by quickly carrying away heat from the processor and into the air around it. This means that in addition to having a flat contact surface, there are also thin "fins" on the heat sink, which facilitate thermal convection—air movement around the processor. This all sounds pretty simple in theory, but there's much more to it than just physics! Often, even with high-quality fans and good airflow, an HSF isn't enough to keep up with the demand of modern processors. So what happens? You start having problems with overheating…or worse!