Designers of computing systems such as, for example, mobile computer systems, are faced with a delicate balance. They seek to increase performance of the computer systems but at the same time control power consumption and temperature caused by components of the computer systems. The components may include, for example, a processor, chipsets, etc.
Typically, a processor has a discrete operating point, characterized by a given frequency and power. The frequency may be some multiple of an external clock delivered to the processor. The power consumed by the processor may be a function of the frequency and voltage applied to the processor. As the voltage level is increased, the frequency may be increased, resulting in a nonlinear increase in power consumption. An increase in the power consumption may cause an increase in temperature. When the temperature is too high, the processor may fail. Typically, to decrease the temperature, the voltage and frequency pair may be adjusted to decrease the power consumption of the processor.
Similarly, chipsets may receive clock signals and may operate at a certain frequency. During normal operation, the chipsets may cause a rise in temperature, and when the temperature is too high, operation of the chipsets may also fail. More recent chipsets may include a mechanism (e.g., throttling) to lower the clock-frequency to control the temperature generated by the chipsets. In addition to adjusting the frequency, heat sinks, airflows or combinations of heat sinks and airflows may also be used as thermal solutions to control the temperature generated by the chipsets and by the processor.
Although the above techniques provide some forms of thermal solutions, one common theme among them is that the solutions apply to the entire component (e.g., processor) at the expense of the performance of the component as a whole, and thus may not be efficient.