Olle P wrote:MikeC wrote:I should have added -- "I much prefer heatsink", which is more precise, imo. Cooler has so many definitions; ...
I think you missed my point.
It was this part of the sentence: "
... 'air only' heatsinks and all-in-one water cooling devices...", that triggered me.
* There's no "air only" (no heatsink!) in practical use with CPUs.
* Most CPU cooling devices nowadays use water cooling, typically by means of heat pipe.
I love accurate terminology, since it plays a big part in my line of work, but this here is Advanced Nitpicking; it goes so far beyond the scope of its purpose that it hinders or eliminates practical application.
It reminds me of:
I don't think the unobservable, miniscule amount of liquid used constitutes a defining or essential attribute of the
cooling device as a whole, so it is moot from a terminological standpoint. A valid defining attribute could be the clearly observable (forced) airflow going through an 'air-cooled heatsink' or 'air cooler' (
airconditioning?), same with a 'water-cooling system', arguably a complex system and not a single device per se, even in all-in-one form, or 'water cooler' (
water cooler chats?) having a clearly observable circulation of coolant/water. And let's not forget the common use of
cooler as something that cools food and drink, as Mike pointed out, and non-native English-speaking PC hobbyists may be keen to forget.
As much as it may jar Mike (and myself, when I run across the term again), cooler has taken on yet another meaning that is here to stay. Generic and generously applied terms, the bane and boon of texts that have to work in multiple registries (e.g. professional, common, hobbyist etc.).