At CES 2026, an under-the-radar start-up is getting ready to unveil a laptop that appears completely ordinary from the outside, yet conceals a dramatically different cooling system within. While its design looks familiar, the technology powering it challenges decades of conventional laptop engineering. Instead of relying on spinning fans or mechanical airflow, this machine introduces a new approach that aims to keep performance high while keeping noise nearly nonexistent.
A laptop that cools itself with plasma instead of fans
Anyone who has used a laptop knows the moment when processors heat up and fans kick in, producing a sharp, persistent whine. As modern chips gain more AI-driven capabilities and higher power demands, cooling systems are pushed harder, becoming louder and more prone to wear. YPlasma, a company operating between Newark in the United States and Madrid in Spain, says it has found an alternative by removing moving parts altogether.
The company’s prototype replaces fans and blowers with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), a form of controlled cold plasma cooling adapted from aerospace research. Instead of blades, thin plasma actuators guide air across hot components, generating directed airflow with almost no sound and no mechanical degradation over time.
According to YPlasma, the system operates at roughly 17 dBA, comparable to leaves rustling in a quiet park. Inside the chassis, precisely positioned plasma strips ionise air and push it along heat pipes and metal surfaces, removing heat without visible vents or spinning hardware.
How a 200-micron film takes the place of a fan
A paper-thin actuator does the work
The key innovation lies in extreme miniaturisation. While DBD actuators have existed for years in wind tunnels and experimental aircraft, earlier versions were large and energy-intensive. YPlasma has condensed this technology into a flexible film just 200 microns thick, roughly five times thinner than a human hair.
This film adheres to heat spreaders or the inner walls of a laptop like a label. Visually, it appears as a smooth strip containing embedded electrodes. When powered, an alternating current creates a cold plasma layer along the surface. Charged air molecules accelerate across the strip, pulling surrounding air with them and forming a silent, surface-level airflow.
- Thickness: approximately 200 microns
- Moving parts: none
- Noise level: about 17 dBA
- Placement: heat sinks, inner chassis walls, or custom ducts
- Function: cooling or heating, depending on polarity
An additional capability sets this system apart. By reversing polarity, the same actuator can warm components instead of cooling them. This allows electronics to remain within a stable temperature range in environments that swing between extreme cold and intense heat.
Designed to avoid ozone and material wear
Using plasma to move air is not a new concept. Earlier solutions often relied on sharp metal points and corona discharge to ionise air. These designs created two major problems: the generation of ozone, which can be harmful at high levels, and gradual erosion of metal electrodes caused by continuous arcing.
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The DBD method takes a more controlled route. Electrodes are layered beneath a dielectric barrier that limits the intensity of the discharge. This keeps the plasma cool and close to the surface, preventing aggressive arcs that produce ozone or damage metal.
The dielectric layer also shields the electrodes from erosion. YPlasma says this allows the actuators to last as long as the device itself, without cleaning or replacement. With no blades or bearings, dust accumulation is reduced, helping performance remain stable over time.
CES 2026 marks the starting point, not the destination
From laptops to servers and vehicles
The first public demonstration of this technology will take place at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The prototype laptop is intended mainly as a showcase for PC manufacturers, console makers, and server builders facing growing thermal challenges in thinner, denser hardware.
YPlasma’s plans extend well beyond consumer computers. DBD actuators can also shape airflow around surfaces, opening the door to applications in transportation and industry.
- PCs and consoles: silent cooling, slimmer designs, reduced dust buildup
- Data centres: precise airflow control around dense AI servers
- Automotive: improved cooling for EV batteries and power electronics
- Aerospace and drones: drag reduction and airflow control without moving surfaces
- Industrial sensors: temperature regulation in remote or harsh locations
On vehicles or aircraft, networks of plasma strips could subtly alter the boundary layer of air along surfaces. Even small reductions in turbulence and drag can translate into significant energy savings over long operating periods.
From aerospace labs to consumer devices
DBD actuators were first explored in NASA wind tunnels and advanced research facilities as a way to steer airflow without flaps or motors. Early systems were heavy, complex, and required dedicated power and control equipment.
YPlasma’s proposition is that the same principle now fits into a film thin enough to disappear inside a laptop. What once occupied laboratory benches can now be hidden behind a screen or along a heat spreader.
This matters for AI-intensive workloads, where processors draw high power in short bursts. Traditional fans respond slowly and often overshoot, increasing noise. Plasma actuators can react faster and target airflow more precisely, keeping systems quiet during demanding tasks.
Open questions and practical challenges
What the industry will be watching
As with any emerging technology, cost is a major consideration. Conventional fan assemblies are inexpensive and mass-produced. Plasma films, control electronics, and power systems must reach similar price points to be viable in mainstream devices.
Energy efficiency is another factor. Sustaining a plasma discharge consumes power, and the system must move enough heat per watt to compete with established cooling methods.
There are also concerns around electromagnetic compatibility. High-voltage alternating current across thin electrodes can create interference, requiring careful integration to avoid disrupting wireless signals, memory pathways, or sensors.
Plasma cooling explained in simple terms
Plasma is often referred to as the fourth state of matter. It forms when a gas becomes so energised that its atoms split into charged particles. Neon lights and lightning are familiar examples. In a DBD actuator, the plasma is far cooler and tightly controlled, but it follows the same basic principle.
The dielectric barrier is an insulating layer, typically ceramic or polymer, placed between electrodes. It spreads the discharge across a surface and limits current, preventing a single hot arc from forming. This controlled effect gently pushes nearby air in a chosen direction.
In a laptop, arrays of these actuators could line a metal heat spreader connected to the CPU and GPU. When temperatures rise, selected strips activate, guiding warm air toward hidden vents. During light tasks, the system remains inactive, keeping the machine almost silent.
For users tired of noisy fans, dust buildup, and heat creep, a plasma-cooled laptop on the CES floor may offer a glimpse of a future where high-performance machines work hard while barely making a sound.
