Cyberpower begins selling desktop PCs with carbon nanotube CPU cooling, possibly spelling the end of thermal paste catastrophes This is perhaps the last company I would expect to produce a radical new technology. But, according to their charts, they're getting a 20c drop in temperature, which is what you'd expect from switching from a factory fan cooler, to a giant air cooler or water cooling. All using a stupid pad of nantubes, that is practically indestructible. Part of the reason for the sudden introduction of such things, is the recent advances is making and sorting out nanotubes, driving the prices down. Already, people are working on carbon nanotube metamaterials that can be repaired. For example, if you car gets a dent, you can heat it with a blow gun or whatever, and the dent will not only pop out, but make that spot stronger than it was. Part of the weirdness with carbon nanotubes, is they can also be used as display screens, solar panels, supercapacitors, and even speakers, ALL Rolled Up Into The Same Nanotubes! Right now, they're just beginning to find all the more basic uses, and this is just one of the cheaper dumber examples. The stuff is practically indestructible, and you could throw a cloth made out of it into a fire and watch it turn cherry red, and instantly recharge its supercapacitors. Others have found a way to make cheap high quality graphite with excellent thermodynamics, and future laptops might include a piece of graphite paper behind the display, that's just a heat radiator, but conducts a lot of heat for a piece of paper. Still other recent research has indicated that quasi particles can transport heat 7,000x faster, but that's almost certain to remain classified and regulated techology for the indefinite future. Imagine a computer you can overclock 100x faster, because the cooler is that good. How much electricity it might cost boggles the imagination.
