Ventiva has just launched its innovative ICE9 thermal management suite that works completely silently and without any moving parts. It will launch with devices packing up to 25W processors at CES in a few days, but it is expected to be able to cool partner laptop designs up to 40 watts TDP by 2027.
According to Ventiva (PDF), ICE9 uses the firm's Ionic Cooling Engine (ICE), which allows it to cool electronic devices without any moving parts. This device is claimed to be far more efficient than the Frore AirJet solid-state active cooling released a couple of years ago, although it’s still slightly less efficient than an actual fan.
However, what makes Ventiva’s ICE9 thermal management suite better than the typical fan is its completely silent operation and ultra-compact form factor, with a device height of just 12 mm. This makes it the ideal solution for thin-and-light laptops, allowing OEMs to use relatively high-powered processors while preventing thermal throttling. So, aside from letting laptop makers build sleek devices, it could also allow them to insert additional components to extend the function of their device, like Framework’s dual M.2 module that slots in the empty space between the fan of its Framework Laptop 16 Expansion Bay.
“Our ICE technology is transforming the electronics market, enabling a new wave of silent, intelligent heat-transferring thermal management solutions, and our latest results underscore the remarkable scalability of our ICE9 solution,” said Ventiva CEO Carl Schlachte. “Initially demonstrated within the 'thin and light' category of laptops at around 15W TDP, the ICE9 device now enables laptop manufacturers to extend these benefits to higher performance systems, paving the way for the launch of entire product families of silent computing products."
The company says that it has ICE9 solutions that can accommodate as much as 25 watts TDP right now, meaning it could handle some of the new breed of low-power and highly efficient processors from AMD and Intel, as well as Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips. However, it’s also working with OEMs to develop cooling solutions that could handle as much as 40 watts TDP, allowing it to easily handle some of the latest AI processors from Intel and AMD. Moreover, it is open to partners leveraging 'hybrid' solutions mixing ICE9 and fan(s) for ultra-quiet computing.
While Ventiva is currently focusing on laptops for the ICE9’s application, it can also be used in a variety of other devices, like smartphones and tablets, especially given its particularly small size. However, it does have one weakness — the ICE9 has such low static pressure that OEMs cannot just drop it in in their current designs if they want to maximize the technology's cooling performance. Instead, they need to think about a hybrid solution or build a case specifically designed for the product that allows them to transfer heat efficiently from all heat-generating parts of the laptop so that the ICE9 can cool it directly, instead of relying on the airflow that a typical fan would generate. If laptop makers can solve this problem, we should be prepared to see impressive steps made in silent computing performance.
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Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer
Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
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- ekio
This looks like an amazing solution for cooling VR headsets.
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- toffty
I'd love to see this on full fan sizes too - 80mm to 140mm
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- likeacactus
Maybe soon we'll have some good ARM handheld, but it may work fine enough for x86.
My rog ally gets freaking hot, and is uncomfortable. Maybe a solution like this would do a better job.
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- Notton
Do you know what ionized air attracts? dustDo you know what clogs these ionizers up? dustDo you know what sensitive electronic devices don't like? ionized air.
There is a reason ionized air purifiers fell out of favor compared to good old filters.
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- gg83
It almost looks like a planar magnetic headphone driver. They move air to make sound, so maybe similar tech?
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- toffty
Notton said:
Do you know what ionized air attracts? dustDo you know what clogs these ionizers up? dustDo you know what sensitive electronic devices don't like? ionized air.There is a reason ionized air purifiers fell out of favor compared to good old filters.
Ozone production too. From what I've read of their pre-release material, they have somehow figured out a way to prevent dust build up and ozone production. Too good to be true? Probably, but we will soon find out
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- JRStern
I don't get it ... so they run a heat pipe from the processor to the ventiva thingy.https://ventiva.com/But they also recommend a standby fan for turbo mode?So the 40w capacity is really twenty?Seems ... marginal.
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- ottonis
What about potential health concerns with that cooling device? After all, it's based on ionization of air molecules. Is there proof that all ionized molecules get de-ionized before leaving the chassis of the laptop?
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- Notton
ottonis said:
What about potential health concerns with that cooling device?After all, it's based on ionization of air molecules. Is there proof that all ionized molecules get de-ionized before leaving the chassis of the laptop?The level of ozone produced would be so small so as to be irrelevant. I doubt it's harmful levels even if you're sniffing it with your nose right on the exhaust.
Major retailers and brands still carry ionic air purifiers. These things are way larger and produce significantly more ionized air and ozone, yet they are still sold.
Major brands like Ionic Pro, and Honeywell Quietclean to name a few.
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- ottonis
Notton said:
The level of ozone produced would be so small so as to be irrelevant. I doubt it's harmful levels even if you're sniffing it with your nose right on the exhaust.Major retailers and brands still carry ionic air purifiers. These things are way larger and produce significantly more ionized air and ozone, yet they are still sold.
Major brands like Ionic Pro, and Honeywell Quietclean to name a few.
That's all nice and fine, but I would love to see some numerical evidence. The ionizing air purifiers have to follow rules and laws (e.g. 0.05 ppm ozone levels indoors), and usually, you don't sit 8 hours right in front of them. An air-ionizer that is in your laptop that you sit in front of it for many hours a day (maybe at some 40 cm distance from the exhaust) and directly breathing the air that comes out of it, has the potential for some serious direct air pollution. That's why real-world testing trumps theory.Just to be clear: I wish you are right and would be delighted to see this innovative cooling mechanism is entirely safe to use.But you know the old saying; better safe than sorry. That's why I would wish to see some independent tests on this.
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