Samsung
A Cooler Approach: Inside Samsung’s Heat Path Block (HPB) Tech
Heat has long been the primary bottleneck for mobile performance , but Samsung Foundry believes it has found a workaround. Their latest thermal packaging innovation, dubbed Heat Path Block (HPB), aims to tackle the stubborn issue of chip throttling head-on. This isn’t just an internal upgrade, either; Samsung is reportedly preparing to license the technology to heavyweights like Apple and Qualcomm in an aggressive bid to reclaim its dominance in the foundry market.
The mechanics of HPB represent a significant shift in how chips are built. Traditionally, Samsung utilized Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP), which essentially stacked the DRAM directly on top of the application processor. While efficient for space, it created a thermal “sandwich” that made cooling difficult.
With the upcoming Exynos 2600, Samsung is changing the blueprint. They’ve moved the DRAM stack to the side, clearing a path for a dedicated copper thermal plate—the HPB—to sit directly against the processor cores.
By creating this direct line of contact, heat can escape much more efficiently. The results are substantial: Samsung claims a 30% reduction in average chip temperatures compared to previous generations. For the end user, that translates to more than just a cooler device in the hand. It means sustained peak performance during high-intensity tasks, allowing gamers and power users to push their hardware further without the frustration of sudden performance dips.