• SomeoneSomewhere@lemmy.nz
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      5 months ago

      Copper has more mass, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity per litre.

      Is aluminium actually more effective as a dissipation surface? I hadn’t heard that.

      • fx242@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Copper is better conductor but it’s worse at dissipation. Do the experience yourself, heat a block of each and then touch them afterwards.

          • fx242@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Maybe you’re right, but I remember than in the 2000s I’ve had identical cpu heatsinks in both copper/aluminum versions, and the aluminum one had better performance. And then they started to make hybrid ones, stating that the copper part was to allow rapid heat transference and the aluminum parts to improve dissipation. But maybe it was all marketing.

            • Schmuppes@lemmy.today
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              5 months ago

              Aluminium is significantly cheaper, that’s why they make coolers with a copper base and alu fins. It’s a good compromise.