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HP008
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The HP008 is a specialized heat pipe heatsink designed for the Broadcom Tomahawk 3 switch chip deployed in data center switches. By utilizing extra-long heat pipes, this innovative cooling solution transfers heat from the chip to remote airflow channels, fully utilizing available chassis space and enabling more flexible system layouts.
With overall dimensions of 432.8 × 45 × 145 mm, the HP008 extends the heat transfer path significantly beyond traditional heatsink designs. The extreme length-to-width ratio (nearly 10:1) reflects a deliberate engineering choice: the copper baseplate contacts the Tomahawk 3 ASIC at the mid-span, while the heat pipes extend in both directions to deliver heat to fin stacks positioned at the chassis periphery, where high-velocity system fan airflow is available.
The HP008 leverages an elongated copper sheet baseplate with embedded heat pipes that follow an optimized routing path to dual remote fin arrays. The entire assembly — copper base, heat pipes, and aluminum fins — receives a nickel plating plus chemical passivation dual surface treatment, providing multi-layered corrosion protection for 24/7 data center operation.
Data center switch platforms present a unique thermal design problem that conventional atop-chip heatsinks cannot solve:
ASIC placement inboard of airflow — The Broadcom Tomahawk 3 chip is positioned near the center of the switch PCB, while high-velocity airflow is concentrated at the chassis edges. A standard heatsink sitting directly on the chip sees only stagnant or low-velocity bypass air.
Limited height above the chip — Adjacent line cards, optical transceivers, and PCB components restrict the vertical space directly above the ASIC, preventing a tall, high-surface-area fin stack at the chip location.
High port density driving up ambient temperature — Modern switches pack 32–64 ports of 100GbE/400GbE into a 1U or 2U enclosure. Optical transceiver heat dissipation plus ASIC power combine to elevate internal ambient temperatures significantly.
Continuous 24/7 operation with no thermal throttling tolerance — Network switches cannot throttle like CPUs; any thermal-induced packet loss or bit error rate increase is unacceptable in production data center environments.
The HP008 addresses this by decoupling the heat source from the heat sink: the baseplate absorbs heat at the chip location, and the extra-long heat pipes transport it to fin arrays positioned directly in the chassis airflow path — where it can be efficiently rejected.
The HP008 addresses a common challenge in high-density switch design: limited space around the chip for effective cooling. Traditional heatsinks are constrained by the immediate vicinity of the processor. The HP008 solves this by using extra-long heat pipes to:
Absorb heat from the Tomahawk 3 chip via the copper baseplate
Transport heat along the 432.8 mm heat pipes to dual remote fin arrays
Dissipate heat in cooler zones of the chassis where airflow is more favorable
This approach allows switch designers to place the fin arrays in optimal airflow locations, maximizing cooling efficiency without being constrained by chip placement. The dual symmetric fin arrays are compatible with bidirectional chassis airflow configurations (front-to-rear or rear-to-front).
The defining characteristic of the HP008 is its extended heat pipe span. Embedded copper heat pipes connect the central copper baseplate to dual remote fin arrays. By bridging the gap between the ASIC location and the available airflow channels, the HP008 converts a thermally hostile inboard position into an effectively cooled zone.
The HP008 splits its fin stack into two separate arrays, each fed by dedicated heat pipes extending from the central baseplate. This symmetric architecture ensures balanced thermal loading and makes the heatsink compatible with bidirectional chassis airflow configurations (front-to-rear or rear-to-front).
A precision-machined copper sheet baseplate provides direct, full-surface contact with the Broadcom Tomahawk 3 ASIC package. The baseplate thickness is engineered to minimize spreading resistance while maintaining mechanical rigidity across the 432.8 mm span.
The HP008 employs the same dual surface treatment used across Greatminds' server and networking heatsink portfolio:
Nickel plating provides a uniform corrosion barrier over the copper baseplate, heat pipes, and fin array, preventing copper oxidation and ensuring long-term thermal interface material (TIM) compatibility.
Chemical passivation forms a dense protective passive layer on the nickel surface, sealing micro-porosity and adding resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in data center environments with varying humidity and temperature cycling.
At 45 mm width and 432.8 mm length, the HP008 is engineered to fit within the narrow keep-out zones of densely populated switch PCBs. The extended footprint does not interfere with adjacent optical transceivers, memory modules, or power regulation components — a critical consideration in switch designs where every millimeter of board space is allocated.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | HP008 |
| Type | Heat Pipe Heatsink (Remote Heat Rejection) |
| Core Technology | Heat Pipe + Copper Sheet |
| Dimensions | 432.8 × 45 × 145 mm |
| Baseplate Material | Copper |
| Fin Material | Aluminum Alloy |
| Heat Pipe | Extra-Long Embedded Copper Heat Pipes |
| Surface Treatment | Nickel Plating + Chemical Passivation |
| Target ASIC | Broadcom Tomahawk 3 |
| Application | Data Center Network Switch |
| Cooling Architecture | Remote Heat Rejection — Dual Symmetric Fin Arrays |
| Performance Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Cooling Architecture | Remote heat rejection via extra-long embedded heat pipes |
| Fin Array Configuration | Dual symmetric remote fin stacks |
| Target ASIC | Broadcom Tomahawk 3 switch chip |
| Baseplate Contact | Copper sheet, full ASIC package coverage |
| Airflow Compatibility | Bidirectional (front-to-rear or rear-to-front) |
| Recommended TIM | High-performance thermal grease or phase-change material |
Performance data is based on engineering validation using Broadcom Tomahawk 3 reference designs. Actual thermal performance varies with chassis airflow velocity, ambient temperature, TIM application, and switch enclosure thermal design.
Broadcom Tomahawk 3-based data center switch platforms
100GbE / 400GbE high-density network switches
Leaf-spine architecture top-of-rack (ToR) switches
Data center interconnect (DCI) switching equipment
Enterprise core and aggregation layer switches
OEM switch platform thermal integration
| Value Dimension | Description |
|---|---|
| Remote Heat Transfer | Moves heat from inboard ASIC to optimal cooling zones at chassis airflow channels |
| Space Optimization | Frees up space around the switch chip; fin arrays deploy where space is available |
| Extra-Long Heat Pipes | 432.8 mm span for flexible system design without additional mechanical interfaces |
| Dual Protection | Nickel plating + passivation for extended data center service life |
| Compact Cross-Section | 45 mm width fits within dense switch PCB keep-out zones |
| Tomahawk 3 Optimized | Baseplate geometry and contact surface engineered for Broadcom Tomahawk 3 ASIC package |
| OEM Available | Custom solutions for switch manufacturers |
Greatminds provides customization options for switch OEMs and networking equipment manufacturers:
Baseplate footprint adjustments for non-standard ASIC package variants and custom PCB layouts
Heat pipe routing modifications to accommodate component keep-out zones and chassis mechanical constraints
Fin array geometry tuning — fin pitch, height, and density optimization for specific chassis airflow profiles
Overall length adjustments — span customization to match chassis airflow channel positions
Surface treatment options for specialized environmental requirements
Q：Do you have your own brand? A：Yes. Our brand name is GREATMINDS. |
Q：Are you a manufacture or trading company？ A：We design and produce thermal products by ourselves. |
Q：Where is your plant? A：We have two plants. One is at Suzhou in eastern China, and the other is at Dongguan in southern China. |
Q：What thermal products do you supply? A：We have heatsink, fan, heapipe, vapor chamber, liquid cooling solution, and so on. |
Q：Which types of heatsinks do you supply? A：Our products cover many processes, extrusion, die casting, skived fin, zipper fin, soldering,friction stir welding, vaccum brazing, and so on. |
Q：What is the leadtime for prototype? A：It depends on different type of products. Usually it takes 2-3 weeks. |
Q：Do you have a NPI process in your company? A：Yes. Tooling samples and trial run will be strictly implemented before mass production. |
Q：What capabilities do you have in your plant? A：We have stamping, machining, and soldering production in house. |
