Intelligent Heat Regulator
What is it?
For a motherboard without an Intelligent Heat Regulator (IHR), the only component protected from overheating will be the CPU itself (via the Overheat Protection Mechanism). In contrast, a motherboard equipped with IHR will be able to monitor the temperature of the whole system, to prevent any of the components installed to overheat and be damaged. The IHR is a sensor on the motherboard – when system overheating is detected, the system will automatically adjust the cTDP (Configurable TDP) of the CPU to suit the higher temperature condition.
Why do you need it?
In many cases the system may be located in a harsh operating environment, such as an outdoor digital signage deployment. During hot weather or direct sunlight exposure, the system may experience high ambient temperatures, which normally would force the CPU to throttle down performance or even shut down to protect against overheating – in extreme cases, the system's electrical components or even the CPU itself may be damaged. By contrast, a system equipped with IHR will monitor the complete motherboard / component temperatures, and switch the cTDP mode between cTDP down or Nominal cTDP, in order to allow the system to operate optimally in the given temperature range without affecting performance.
1. Outdoor digital signage has to cope with fluctuating temperature and weather conditions, including direct sunlight. Under direct sunlight exposure, the internal temperature of the digital signage system could go over the range for which a normal system could operate. Therefore, a specially designed IPC with an IHR could offer better and more stable performance in this situation.
2. Some operating environments are naturally hotter than other areas, such as Middle Eastern oil fields, where are daily temperature of above 50 degrees Celsius is considered normal. In these situations, an IPC system equipped with an IHR would also be ideal.
How is GIGABYTE helpful?
GIGABYTE features a product line of embedded motherboards and systems for IPC applications. Within our product line, most computer systems have a normal operating temperature range of 0 to +50 degrees Celsius. However, we also manufacture embedded motherboards that are suitable for a wider temperature range, such as an operating temperature of up to +60 degrees Celsius and a non-operating temperature of from -20 to +70 degrees Celsius.
