The Second Law of Thermodynamics generally states that certain events will always occur in a specific direction without external interference, like the flow of heat from a warm object towards a colder object. This principle allows us to create complex cooling systems to ward off the generation of heat, especially in gaming devices, where heat is often an unavoidable obstacle and challenge.
In this blog article, we take a closer look at the forms of passive and active cooling that allow us to sustain peak performance without overheating. We also pay special attention to the use of built-in fans to generate stable frame rates, ensure seamless graphics, and provide enhanced cooling. First, let’s get a better understanding of the types of cooling available and why we need them in the first place.
Why Is Cooling Important in Gaming?
Any gamer knows that elite performance requires elite power, and power comes with guaranteed heat. Most gaming PCs and consoles are built with some form of cooling system, from the humble fan to the advanced liquid cooling we see today. This is because heat is famously not a great companion to any form of tech. It slows down performance, damages internal components, and can make devices very difficult to handle. This makes cooling a valuable asset in any device.
Naturally, we would spend a lot more time on a gaming device, which would generate a lot more heat. Gaming phones are also becoming increasingly popular and with that, require better specs to keep up in the market. This means more power, which means more heat than previous devices would have dreamt of. Without adequate thermal management, gaming devices can suffer from throttling, poor performance, and hardware damage.
Cooling systems come in various shapes and sizes and use different means and methods to keep your device cool. While you could invest in an external cooler for your gaming smartphone as well, it’s important that your internal cooling mechanisms can hold their own as well. Let’s look at active and passive cooling measures.
Active vs. Passive Cooling Systems
Generally, cooling can be evenly divided into two categories: active or passive. While all of these have unique merits of their own and can also be combined to form hybrid cooling systems, manufacturers often tend to favor one or the other.
Passive Cooling: This form of cooling relies mostly on the thermal conductivity of specific materials and uses those properties to dispel heat through transference. Here, heat spreaders, graphite sheets, and vapor chambers are used to transfer heat from critical parts to the chassis, keeping the device cool. This is generally the easiest method as it's silent, efficient, and space-saving by design.
Active Cooling: As its name suggests, active cooling takes a much more active approach to heat. These systems typically have moving parts that apply pressure to remove heat directly. These include fans, compressors, liquid cooling, and more. Rather than relying on passive thermal properties like passive cooling, active cooling methods go for the jugular to remove heat entirely.
Now, while you might find passive cooling methods easier to reproduce and design, active cooling methods still offer a more solid solution. When it comes to gaming smartphones, the technology we use has to evolve to keep up with growing demands.
Bemfica de Oliva from How to Geek stated that choosing between active and passive cooling depends on your priorities. While active cooling is often associated with better performance, passive cooling is linked more to portability, silence, and battery longevity. So, which is better in our opinion? The answer may not be as simple as you might think.
Getting Active About Cooling
Generally, active cooling uses mechanisms like fans and cooling fluids to take the heat away, while passive cooling relies on dissipating it through materials with high thermal conductivity. Both methods result in a cooler device, yet choosing between the two can be a touch more complicated depending on your circumstances. As a gaming device manufacturer, you don’t want to cut down on efficiency for the sake of costs, but you also don’t want to complicate designs with too much going on.
According to Strategic Revenue Insights, the global smartphone cooling devices market is projected to reach US$1.5 billion by 2033. Another insight from this study showed that the market was also witnessing a surge in demand for active cooling devices, which offer superior heat dissipation compared to passive solutions. They state that the technology behind active cooling devices, such as fans and liquid cooling systems, allows for efficient heat management, ensuring that smartphones maintain optimal performance even during intensive tasks.
For electronics supplier Arrow, the debate is a lot less complex. They mention that active cooling technologies, while generally offering more rapid and efficient temperature reduction, are less popular due to their size, power requirements, noise, and cost. They state that even the smallest fans and blowers are generally too large and power hungry to deploy inside smartphones and tablets. They do, however, also mention that the REDMAGIC 3 defies this reasoning and incorporates both a liquid-cooling copper heat pipe and an internal 14,000 RPM cooling fan.
REDMAGIC: Big Fans of Big Fans
This is perhaps where we can draw our lot. At REDMAGIC, innovation is the successor of adaptation, which is why we pushed boundaries since the beginning to introduce a new take on smartphone cooling. In 2019, the REDMAGIC 3 was launched, becoming the industry’s first gaming smartphone with an active built-in cooling fan and liquid cooling technology. With the fan turned on, the phone’s surface temperature would easily drop by up to 1.5 °C. While this is a relatively small difference, it was enough at the time to take the device from around 44°C to between 30 and 40°C once it got too hot.
This marked a pivotal moment for us where we chose to get the best of both worlds to optimize cooling for our fans. Since then, our REDMAGIC gaming smartphones and devices have all featured ICE-X layered passive heating systems along with turbo fans and liquid cooling features. The signature REDMAGIC turbo fan became a big part of this mission.
Internal fans in gaming smartphones provide an active and direct way to reduce heat by improving airflow, redirecting hot air away from critical components, and sustaining long-term performance without damage or overheating discomfort. A stable and fast-moving fan provides consistent and reliable heat dissipation rather than a short burst of cooling. Fans also reduce surface temperatures, making the device easier to hold.
In hybrid cooling systems, like many of the REDMAGIC ones, an internal fan is a crucial component in creating the initial movement to push liquid coolants along their paths, expel generated hot air, and maintain a cooler internal airflow. All of these lead to stable Frames Per Second, lag-free processing power, longevity for device hardware, and seamless graphics during gameplay.
The REDMAGIC 11 Pro introduced the first waterproof and industry’s fastest Turbo Fan at 24,000 RPM, giving our fans a 1,000 RPM boost over our previous 10S Pro. This comes alongside our revolutionary liquid cooling AquaCore system and the industry’s largest vapor chamber, effectively combining both active and passive cooling methods for a more optimized system.
Now, they say that if you can’t handle the heat, it’s best to stay out of the kitchen, but we prefer to stay cooking at REDMAGIC. This is why we’ve modified and upgraded our cooling systems to produce faster, quieter, and more efficient fans alongside innovative passive and liquid cooling. Each generation of REDMAGIC devices is built to withstand, redirect, and dissipate heat more effectively, allowing you to keep winning without breaking a sweat.
