Computers and other electronic devices contain numerous electronic components such as processors, memory and graphics products, and other integrated circuits (ICs) that give off heat. Most electronic components are heat-sensitive and may malfunction or become physically damaged if they become too hot. However, the heat threshold within which each component in a given electronic device can safely operate varies from component to component. Thus, system level cooling elements as well as cooling elements attached to individual ICs within an electronic device are vital to the functionality of many electronic devices. These cooling elements may be heat spreaders, fans, blowers, heat sinks, and others.
Some cooling elements can be controlled manually or by a control system that is part of an electronic device. For example, a fan can be controlled to operate at varying speeds. Controllable cooling elements are advantageous in many electronic devices because they save power and reduce overall system noise by not always operating at full speed.
Some electronic devices rely solely on system level cooling elements for their thermal management. In many electronic devices, however, system-wide cooling requires expensive and space-consuming overhead. Thus, in many instances, individual cooling solutions for some or all of the ICs within a particular electronic device are more efficient, require less space, and are less expensive than a system level cooling solution.
Most thermal control systems that are controllable are based on the temperature of the ICs that they cool. For example, a fan's speed may be increased if a particular IC's temperature rises to an undesirable level. However, a thermal control system that is based solely on an IC's temperature is sometimes inaccurate, inefficient, and unable to recognize and react to certain trends in the IC's power usage.