Frore’s airjet Mini Slim: A Significant Fanless Cooling Upgrade?
It has been a year since the public launch of the original Frore AirJet – a compact cooling solution that utilizes an innovative membrane-based method for moving hot air away from internal components. At CES 2024, Frore showcased its latest model, the AirJet Mini Slim, boasting excellent cooling performance and new features such as a thinner design, intelligent self-cleaning, and the capability to sense surrounding temperature for optimized performance.
Lack of Adoption and Concerns
The lack of adoption for the original airjet is a cause for concern. Despite the promise of smaller cooling solutions, the current adoption is virtually non-existent. Back in December 2022, a collaboration between Intel and Frore Systems showcased the integration of the airjet into the Intel Evo platform, yet subsequent releases remained conventionally cooled.
Adoption Challenges
Upon visiting Frore’s website, the list of airjet enabled products directs users to only one device – the Zotac Zbox Pico P1430AJ. This limited availability raises questions about the technology’s widespread acceptance. The device claims to be the world’s smallest Mini PC, utilizing two airjet Minis to remove “an additional 10+ watts of heat.”
Stackable but Problematic
While the airjet units are stackable to enhance cooling performance, the need for multiple units to adequately cool a device negates the virtues of its small form factor. Moreover, the potential noise output poses further challenges. The high-pitched whine mentioned in reviews could deter manufacturers from embracing this new cooling method.
Manufacturers’ Reluctance
Manufacturers may be hesitant to invest in redesigning chassis ventilation to accommodate a smaller cooler, particularly if the noise levels remain a concern. If the laminar flow of air created by the airjet‘s vent indeed causes a high-pitched whine, manufacturers might be deterred from adopting the technology on a large scale. This, in turn, can contribute to the lack of widespread adoption.
Future of airjet Technology
While the Frore airjet presents an innovative and creative solution to electronic device heat problems, the technology might need further development before companies embrace it wholeheartedly. The potential challenges related to cooling performance and noise output need to be thoroughly addressed before widespread adoption can be expected.
Source: pcgamer
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