AMD considered vapour chamber IHS design for Ryzen 7000 CPUs

On a recent visit to AMD's labs, Gamers Nexus learned some interesting new information. While designing the Ryzen 7000 series processors, AMD had considered and tested a new IHS design that incorporated a concealed vapour chamber. As we already know, that idea was ultimately scrapped for the unique IHS design we've grown used to since the Ryzen 7000 launch. 

The video from Gamers Nexus revealed the details, even showing some prototype designs and testing data provided by AMD. Ultimately, the vapour chamber IHS idea didn't pan out as the cooling results were negligible.

Extensive testing on pre-release silicon revealed that the temperature difference between the vapour chamber design and the conventional heat spreader was only 1°C. In some cases, the temperature even exceeded normal levels under sustained workloads. AMD acknowledged these findings and concluded that the choice of cooler had a more significant impact on temperatures than the integrated heat spreader (IHS) design. Therefore, the marginal temperature variance provided by the vapour chamber did not justify the associated increase in cost.

AMD emphasised the importance of preserving the package size for Zen 4, maintaining the same dimensions as the previous generation of Ryzen CPUs using the AM4 socket. This decision ensures compatibility with existing coolers and offers an easier upgrade path for AMD users.

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KitGuru says: Tech companies are constantly working on ideas and testing new prototypes, many of which don't see the light of day. It is nice to get a look behind the curtain for a change, even if the vapour chamber IHS didn't lead to any major breakthroughs in cooling. 

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