Patent ID: 8091614

Claim:
An apparatus for dissipating heat from a heat-generating device, comprising: a base having a first side configured for thermal coupling to the heat-generating device; an air-based cooling path coupled to the base, for dissipating at least a portion of the heat via air, the air-based cooling path comprising a plurality of fins coupled to the base, each of the plurality of fins extending away from the base in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to the base; and a fluid-based cooling path coupled to the base, for dissipating at least a portion of the heat via a fluid, the fluid-based cooling path comprising at least one fluid channel positioned between exactly two of said plurality of fins, the at least one fluid channel being adapted for circulating a fluid therethrough from an inlet to an outlet, wherein the at least one fluid channel is substantially U-shaped, and wherein the fluid-based cooling path is selectively removable from the apparatus in such a way that the air-based cooling path remains operational when the fluid-based cooling path is removed.