Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2008/05/14/msi_in_debt_to_seaweed/
MSI card-cooler 'inspired by weed'
The underwater variety, no less...
Posted in Channel, 14th May 2008 15:10 GMT
MSI engineers have found stimulation in the briny depths for its latest graphics card innovation: a cooling fan with vanes modeled on seaweed.
MSI's seaweed fan close up
The Taiwanese company didn't say how it came up with the notion of basing its technology on underwater flora, but it did claim that the blade design makes for a more regular, streamlines airflow that results in higher air pressure.
The upshot: a frond-formed fan that is able to cool a throbbing GPU more efficiently than standard fans do, allowing it to spin more slowly and therefore more quietly.
Those seaweed-shaped fan characteristics in full...
"The MSI thermal shielding extends the hood as close as possible to the bracket to decrease turbulence cause by the unnecessary blank zone," we're also told.
With frond regards...
Hurrah!
Taiwanese cooling boffins, for this example of undersea arboreal inspiration, we salute you.
And the card itself? An Nvidia GeForce 9600 GSO running at 600MHz and attached to 384MB of 1.8GHz GDDR 3 memory. Two DVI ports and an HD TV output on the back, a DVI-HDMI adaptor in the box. Due to go on sale sometime very soon.