▷ Heatsink for ssd m.2 nvme

M.2 SSD Heatsinks Are They Really Necessary?

One problem with M.2 SSDs is that not including a metal case like its SATA counterparts, heat itself seems to have been more of a problem than ever with the M.2 form factor. To alleviate this, many motherboard manufacturers have started integrating heat sinks in at least one M.2 slot. Manufacturers promise that these heatsinks help lower the SSD's operating temperature, allowing it to deliver more consistent and stable performance, at least on paper.

We recommend reading our article on the best SSDs of the moment SATA, M.2 NVMe and PCIe

Tweaktown has gotten down to work to see if heatsinks are really necessary in M.2-format SSDs. For this they have used the Samsung 960 EVO 250GB, MyDigitalSSD BPX 240GB and Plextor M8pe 256GB models together with heat sinks from EKWB and Aqua Computer. The EKWB solution comes in black, red, blue, and nickel-plated for approximately € 18, while the Aqua Computer unit is offered in black for € 18.5. In the box with the EKWB solution, we have a generous amount of heating pad and two black clips to secure the heat sink to the unit. The AquaComputer solution also includes two thermal pads, one thin and one thick, two clips, and instructions. As we can see, these heatsinks are not excessively expensive, but after all it is an additional outlay if our motherboard does not have heatsinks in their M.2 slots.

Analyzing temperatures under extreme load

Tests have been conducted with AIDA64 with the sensor log enabled to track unit temperatures at 5 second intervals. To increase the heat, IOMeter has been used with a 256K sequential write workload over a period of 10 minutes.

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The first model under test was the Samsung 960 EVO, the unit heats up very quickly under load, reaching a maximum temperature of 46ºC. Adding the AquaComputer heat sink, the unit lengthens its heat curve reaching a maximum of 40 ° C while using the EKWB solution, we see a peak of 38 ° C. Next up was the MyDigitalSSD BPX. This unit has its temperature sensor right on the controller, so the readings are slightly higher. In its naked form, we see a peak of 75 ºC. By adding in the AquaComputer heatsink, temperatures drop a little to 58 ºC and the EKWB does slightly better to 56 ºC.

The Plextor M8pe rapidly heated to a plateau of 68 ° C. The addition of the AquaComputer heat sink lowered its heating to 62 ° C, and the EKWB solution reached 60 ° C. Finally, a 32GB Optane module has been tested. This unit increased to 56 ºC at its maximum point and adding in the heat sink, we see that both work exactly the same until it reaches 46 ºC.

	Without heatsink ºC	AquaComputer ºC	EKWB ºC
Samsung 960 EVO 250 GB	46	40	38
MyDigitalSSD BPX 240 GB	75	58	56
Plextor M8pe 256 GB	68	62	60
Intel Optane 32GB	56	46	46

Final words and conclusion about whether it is worth using heat sinks in M.2 SSD

In conclusion, we see that heatsinks work with M.2 SSDs and help lengthen the temperature curve when drives are placed under heavy writing workloads. With these tests it is important to note that none of these units decreased performance, even at peak temperatures without heat sinks. Therefore , heatsinks on M.2 SSDs are an interesting option, but they don't seem to be necessary, at least in these proven cases.

These heatsinks can be the most interesting if they are included on the motherboard or the SSD itself, but buying them separately does not seem worth it, although you would have to see each user in particular, since if you live in a very hot it is possible that in summer the temperatures if they can become excessive.

What do you think about it? Do you think it is worth spending extra money on a heat sink for your M.2 unit? We want to know your opinion.

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