An Improved Hotspot Block-based Thermal Model with Granularity Considerations (Extended Discussion)

This technical report describes our most recent improve- ments to the HotSpot thermal model. First, in response to a previous paper in WDDD 2006 [1] that cites some accuracy shortcomings, we improve treatment in HotSpot�s �block model� of high aspect-ratio blocks, high power densities, and convection boundary conditions. These improvement sare included in the newest release of the HotSpot software, version 4.0. Second, to help guide users� modeling efforts and choice of modeling resolution, we propose an analyt- ical approach to find the relationship between the power modeling granularity and the associated peak temperature rise at that granularity, i.e. the relationship between the size and peak temperature of a uniform heat source. We theoret- ically confirm the existence of a strong spatial temperature low-pass filtering effect: a tiny heat source is much cooler than a large heat source with the same power density.

Huang, Wei, K Sankaranarayanan, R Ribando, Mircea Stan, and Kevin Skadron. "An Improved Hotspot Block-based Thermal Model with Granularity Considerations (Extended Discussion)." University of Virginia Dept. of Computer Science Tech Report (2007).