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Design CPU/GPU heatsink fin arrays with thermal conductivity, fan airflow (CFM), ambient temperature, and 2D finite-difference heatmaps.
Fin efficiency, heat spreading, and thermal resistance networks
Visualize temperature gradient fields from silicon junction heat sources ($T_j$) through conductive baseplates to fin tips in real-time 60 FPS.
Calculates exact hyperbolic fin efficiency and convective heat transfer coefficients ($h$) based on Dittus-Boelter airflow correlations.
Compare thermal spreading and junction temperatures across Copper ($k=401$), Aluminum ($k=237$), Graphene ($k=1500$), and Diamond ($k=2200$).
Heat flux through solid metals is governed by $q = -k \nabla T$, transferring energy from the die into the baseplate.
Convective heat dissipation scales with surface area and airflow velocity according to $Q = h A (T_s - T_\infty)$.
Total resistance is the sum of conductive and convective layers: R_th = R_tim + R_base + R_conv.
Everything you need to know about Heat Sink Simulator
The simulator uses Fourier's Law of 2D Thermal Conduction combined with convective boundary conditions (Nusselt/Reynolds correlations). It solves thermal resistance networks across the thermal interface material, metal baseplate, and extended fin array.
Fin efficiency measures how effectively an extended surface dissipates heat compared to an ideal fin at uniform base temperature: eta_f = tanh(m * H) / (m * H). Thinner or taller fins experience greater temperature drops along their height, lowering efficiency.
Thermal resistance (°C/W) is the ratio of temperature rise to thermal power dissipated: R_th = (T_junction - T_ambient) / Q. Lower thermal resistance yields lower silicon die operating temperatures.
Deepen your exploration of fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and thermal mechanics.
Detect thermal throttling limits ($T_j ge 95^circ ext{C}$) and analyze conduction versus convection resistance breakdowns.
Increasing fan CFM accelerates air velocity through narrow fin channels, elevating the convective heat transfer coefficient h (W/m²·K) and reducing convection resistance R_conv.
Copper has roughly 70% higher thermal conductivity (k = 401 W/m·K) than Aluminum (k = 237 W/m·K), allowing it to spread concentrated heat flux from small CPU/GPU dies rapidly across the baseplate without creating intense hotspots.
Modern CPUs and GPUs initiate thermal throttling at 95°C to 105°C, reducing clock frequencies and voltages to prevent permanent silicon damage. The simulator flags this state with a prominent red 'THROTTLING' alert.
Yes! Set the Fan Airflow slider to 0 CFM to evaluate natural buoyancy-driven free convection (h ≈ 8.5 W/m²·K) for fanless IoT and embedded devices.
TIM (thermal paste or liquid metal) fills microscopic air gaps between the processor heat spreader and heatsink base. High-performance pastes offer low resistance (0.05 to 0.08 °C/W).
Yes! Click 'Export CSV' to download complete junction temperatures, base temperatures, fin efficiencies, and convective coefficients, or click 'Snapshot' for high-resolution thermal heatmap images.
Packing too many fins (e.g. > 50 fins) narrows channel widths, which increases boundary layer friction and requires higher static pressure fans to maintain sufficient CFM.
Yes, it supports thermal loads from 25W up to 450W TDP and models server ducted coolers, GPU vapor chamber heatsinks, and gaming desktop towers.
No software downloads are required. The thermodynamic simulator executes entirely in your browser using HTML5 Canvas and TypeScript.