'Full Brain Power' AI PC Boom Sparks Heated 'Cooling Fan Competition'

Computex 2024 On-Site Report
Cooling Fans Displayed Throughout Venue
Rotating 2700 Times per Minute
Showcasing Heat Management Technology
SK Hynix Participates for the First Time

"Cooler! Cooler! Coolest!"

The PC peripheral manufacturer darkFlash introduced its new cooling fan product at its booth in Hall 1 of the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, where Computex 2024 was held on the 5th, leading with this phrase. The promotional brochure featured a snowflake illustration, leaving an impression as if it would freeze just by looking at it. The DX series cooling fans shown by darkFlash were running nonstop but were endlessly quiet. At the same time, the colors were diverse and vibrant, including white, black, and pink.

Low-noise cooling fans were among the most noticeable products at this year’s Computex exhibition. Just a few steps into the exhibition hall, products from other companies appeared. They dazzled visitors with brilliant colors like neon signs seen on city streets at night, spinning busily and catching the eye.

On the 4th, nine units of the new cooling fan model INF 24T from the computer peripheral company 'Darkflash' were exhibited at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, where Computex 2024 was held. Photo by Hyungmin Kim

On the 4th, at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, where Computex 2024 was held, cooling fan products from a participating company were exhibited installed inside a body made of glass and metal. Photo by Kim Hyung-min

Cooling Fans Gaining Attention with the Development of AI PCs

According to the exhibition site and industry sources, cooling fans are gaining attention as very important components in current PCs equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For AI PCs to perform advanced computations, not only AI chips but also key devices such as the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) must operate well. These devices inevitably heat up, and the cooling fans that dissipate this heat have recently needed to evolve to keep up with the trend. The speed at which they expel hot air has increased. The cooling fans seen at the exhibition had a "pump speed"?indicating operating speed?of around 2700 rpm, meaning they rotate 2700 times per minute. Each PC contained at least two and up to five cooling fans. The goal was to maximize the number of fans to enhance cooling efficiency. Since cooling fans themselves can become hot, they also function to cool each other.

A representative from one company exhibiting cooling fans said, "A common concern among global companies producing AI-related equipment and data centers is heat generation," adding, "We expect the demand for cooling fans that dissipate heat to gradually increase."

Besides cooling fans, various cooling products designed to cool internal PC components were exhibited in different forms. A company called ENERMAX displayed a "liquid cooler" product that circulates cold water beside the cooling fan to cool internal heat, promoting it to visitors. Like cooling fans, the liquid cooler was adorned with vibrant colors, resembling flowing lava or waterfalls, attracting attention.

On the 4th, at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, where Computex 2024 was held, the largest exhibition booth was that of Gigabyte Technology. Gigabyte showcased products and various technologies developed in multiple fields. Photo by Hyungmin Kim

"Computex is Number One in IT"

This year, Computex hosted 1,500 companies from 36 countries. Compared to last year, the number of participating countries increased from 26 to 36, and the number of companies rose from 1,000 to 1,500. This is a remarkable leap in just one year. Locally in Taiwan and within the industry, many say that the AI era has officially begun this year, and with the significant development of ICT-related industries, the scale of Computex has expanded. Additionally, Taiwan’s prominence in AI-related competition, such as memory semiconductors, and the attendance of CEOs from global companies have changed the exhibition’s significance.

Oliver Kuo, Senior Specialist at GIGABYTE Technology, said, "During the day, the GIGABYTE booth was visited by CEOs Jensen Huang (NVIDIA), Pat Gelsinger (Intel), and Lisa Su (AMD). This is an opportunity unique to Computex," adding, "Computex is a valuable event because it provides a chance to showcase all the technologies a company has in hardware, software, and other fields in one place." He continued, "Although smaller in scale than CES, Computex is ‘number one’ in IT."

On the 4th, SK Hynix's exhibition booth was also set up at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, where Computex 2024 was held. In the center of the booth wall, SK Hynix's proud HBM3E product is displayed. Photo by Kim Hyung-min

SK Hynix’s First Participation, HBM3E in a Prominent Spot

Among Korean companies, SK Hynix attracted attention by participating in Computex for the first time this year. Following the previous day, it set up an exhibition booth on the 4th floor of Hall 1 at the Nangang Exhibition Center to welcome investors and corporate officials. At this exhibition, which many ICT and PC-related companies attend, SK Hynix focused on promoting its strong memory products. The theme was set as "The Power of AI." On the exhibition wall at the booth, the company proudly displayed its 5th generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM), HBM3E, in the most visible location. Just below it was the phrase "Global No.1 Fastest Memory." SK Hynix supplies this product to NVIDIA. During the exhibition, which continues until the 7th, SK Hynix seeks to expand cooperation with local Taiwanese companies and broaden its customer base.