ASUS ROG’s latest motherboard, the Maximus Z890 Apex, has broken records in CPU and memory frequencies. This achievement was made possible by a collaboration among ElmorLabs Ltd., BenchMarc, OGS, and CENS, using a copper heatsink designed by Diabatix and manufactured by 3D Systems. Here’s how they did it.
What is Overclocking?
Overclocking refers to pushing a system beyond its factory limits. It generates a significant amount of heat that needs to be dissipated quickly to avoid dampening performance. The faster the heat is evacuated, the further the system can be pushed.
For this experiment, the Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard was paired with Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 processors. The team used an LN2 cooling system with a copper heatsink designed by Diabatix and manufactured by 3D Systems. The heat sink was built to function with liquid nitrogen, a substance at an extremely low temperature, which allowed for continuous, stable performance under high-temperature conditions. Liquid nitrogen is commonly used in high-performance cooling for its ultra-low temperature capabilities, but it also requires carefully designed components to handle these conditions effectively.
In this case, Diabatix had to optimize the design for the Leidenfrost effect, a phenomenon in which a liquid is protected by an insulating layer of vapor when in contact with a surface hotter than its boiling point preventing it from boiling rapidly. The heat sink was designed without horizontal surfaces, allowing vapor to evacuate smoothly along vertical tubes, avoiding the formation of vapor layers. ColdStream's design planned to maximize heat transfer by integrating two-phase boiling physics, using liquid nitrogen as a coolant, which maintains a uniform temperature due to its constant boiling point of -196°C. This uniformity supports an efficient heatsink structure, with a tree-like design featuring thicker roots at the base and finer tubes at the top to optimize heat distribution and vapor removal. The tree-like design aids efficient heat distribution from the base to the fin tips while allowing vapor bubbles generated during boiling to escape, preventing heat transfer obstruction. Finally, copper was chosen over aluminum due to its higher thermal conductivity, minimizing temperature differences and further enhancing cooling efficiency.
What This Record Means
Design has considerable consequences on the efficiency of systems. Diabatix has been at the forefront of this market with ColdStream, their thermal design platform, helping companies like ASML, Meta, and Airbus increase the efficiency, sustainability, and performance of heat-generating components.
This record-breaking event shows the potential of cutting-edge thermal solutions in unlocking higher performance thresholds. As consumer demand for powerful, high-performance systems grows, collaborations like this will be essential. Diabatix’s advanced cooling solutions make it possible to push computing hardware beyond conventional boundaries, offering a glimpse into what future tech might hold. With ASUS ROG’s Maximus Z890 Apex and Diabatix’s advanced thermal design, a new standard has been set, proving that with the right combination of innovation and engineering, the limits of performance are made to be broken.
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