Filter
Top Products
Intel
®
855GME and Intel
®
852GME Thermal Design Guide for Embedded Applications 17
Reference Thermal Solution for 1U Applications
4.4 Mechanical Retention
The heatsink is affixed to the die with a mechanical advantage clip. The clip consists of a clip
frame that interfaces to the motherboard through four through-hole mount anchors and an integral
lever (see Figure 12). The clip and lever serve three main purposes:
• Secure the heatsink in intimate contact with the die
• Ensure a thermally good baseline between the die and heatsink
• Prevent damage at the package-to-motherboard solder joint during mechanical shock events
The heatsink must maintain close contact with the die for the life of the system. The generic clip
retention mechanism design holds the heatsink to the die through a single point of contact at the
center of the heatsink. This ensures that the clip load is centered on the die, thus preventing
heatsink tilt that may be caused by unbalanced loading. The clip frame also restrains heatsink
lateral motion through tabs located between the heatsink fins (see Figure 11).
Figure 10. 1U Heatsink Clip Assembly