The aim of this numerical investigation is to evaluate the laminar forced convection of biologically synthesized water-silver nanofluid through a heat sink (HS) filled with porous foam (PHS) using first and second laws of thermodynamics. The impacts of inlet velocity (

V

=0.5-3 m·s

-1

) and volume fraction of nanofluid (

φ

=0-1%) on the performance metrics of HS are assessed and the outcomes are compared with those of the non-porous HS (NHS). The outcomes revealed that for both the PHS and NHS

the increase of V causes an intensification in convection coefficient

pumping power

and entropy generation due to fluid friction

while the maximum CPU temperature

thermal resistance

and entropy generation due to the heat transfer reduces by boosting V. Also

it was found that the augmentation of V results in intensification in convection coefficient

pumping power

overall hydrothermal performance

and frictional entropy generation

while the opposite is true for maximum CPU temperature

thermal resistance

and thermal entropy generation. Furthermore

it was reported that

except for

φ

=0.5%

the overall hydrothermal performance of NHS is better than that of PHS

while PHS has better second-law performance than NHS in all the studied cases. Also

it can be concluded that the best hydrothermal performance for PHS belongs to

φ

= 1% and

V

=0.5 m·s

-1

while for NHS

these values are 1% and 2 m·s

-1

.