Have you purchased an M.2 SSD hard drive and noticed that it tends to heat up significantly?
Or maybe you are planning to buy one, but want to make sure it works perfectly and thus avoid any performance loss?
You are in the right place, we are going to dissect the heatsinks of M.2 hard drives so that you can, on the one hand, understand how they work, why it is important to have one, and know all the types of heatsinks in order to make the best purchase!
What to know before buying an M2 SSD heatsink
Which heatsink to choose: depending on the brand of M.2 SSD hard drive you have or are considering buying, you will need to check its size to know the type of heatsink to choose.
Compatibility of your M.2 SSD: you will need to check if your M.2 SSD hard drive is compatible with all heatsinks. Not all of them can be equipped with double-sided heatsinks, and as such, you will need to check the brand and reference of your SSD in order to make the best choice.
For what temperature gain: checking the SSD temperature is an operation that must be carried out beforehand. Using software, you will need to analyze the temperature level of your hard drive when it is at full capacity! If the temperature is much higher than recommended, it is wise to purchase an SSD heatsink.
Comparison of the best M2 SSD heatsinks
M2 type SSDs tend to overheat, which can lead to a reduction in computer performance and even its lifespan. Heat sinks are there to reduce the temperature and stabilize the performance of your computer.
To help you maintain the performance of your PC, we are going to share with you the best M2 SSD heat sinks. This comparison will be based on two criteria including price and user reviews.
1. IcyBox M.2 SSD
Features and Reviews
The IcyBox is the first in our selection. For a value of €16.55, this heatsink obtains a good rating from users on Amazon.fr, i.e. 4.5 out of 5 stars. This IB-M2HSF-703 accessory is a high-performance M.2 heatsink equipped with an integrated fan.
To ensure stable and long-term PC performance, this heatsink can reduce the temperature of M.2 SSD by up to 25%. It combines an active and passive cooling system. This ensures that heat is evacuated efficiently. The dimensions of this IB-M2HSF-702 model are 7.5 x 2.4 x 1.6 cm for a weight of 51 g.
Spec-wise, the fan is 20mm (4-pin 12V, 10,000rpm, non-controllable fan) with 2 silicone heat dissipation pads (thermal conductivity 1.5W/mK). And equipment made from high quality aluminum with cooling fins. The mounting height is 16mm. It is compatible with all M.2 NVMe SSDs or M.2 SSDs. Compatible with all M.2 NVMe SSDs or M.2 SATA SSDs.
2. Sabrent Heatsink
Features and Reviews
The next in our selection is a product from Sabrent. This Rocket 2280 SB-HTSK heatsink is made from a combination of copper and aluminum. These materials have been specially chosen to obtain optimum results. This heatsink is designed to control the heat generated by the SSD.
The cutting-edge technology of the Sabrent brand is based on a system: when the disc begins to produce heat, this is diffused onto the aluminum part, then absorbed by the copper part, leaving a surface for the heat to ensure a active cooling.
During continuous use, this cooling system helps anticipate overheating of the SSD and guarantees performance. With dimensions of 8 x 2.4 x 2.3 cm, the Sabrent 2280 Rocket (SB-HTSK) is designed specifically for desktop computers. The performance of this product is confirmed by users, as it gets 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon. If you proceed to purchase, be aware that the heat sink comes with a thermal tape, a screwdriver and its user guide.
3. Glotrends M2 NVME Heatsink
Features and Reviews
The M2 NVME heatsink designed by Glotrends is among the best sold for PC users, gamers and professionals. The heatsink body is made from aluminum alloy for anodic oxidation surface treatment. The dimensions of this item are 22 x 70 x 10 mm for a weight of 17 g.
With groove design, this M2 SSD heatsink greatly increases the heat dissipation area. This is in order to achieve a cooling result of 5°C to 20°C, stabilizing the PC, which may vary depending on the environment. If you choose this model, you will see the gain obtained by the cooling system.
The compatibility of this heatsink is very wide, it is possible to use it for an M.2 2280 SSD like the Samsung 850 EVO, 860 EVO, 960 EVO, 970 EVO, 950 PRO, 960 PRO, 970PRO, etc. This product receives a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from users, which reflects the good performance of the heatsink.
4. One enjoy M.2 2280 SSD
Features and Reviews
Produced by the One enjoy brand, the 2280 M2 heatsink with aluminum cooler and silicone thermal pad is among the most popular on the market. Obtaining an evaluation of 4.6 out of 5 stars by Internet users, this heatsink promises good performance. This M.2 SSD heatsink is exclusively dedicated for a desktop PC. It is compatible with single-sided SSDs such as the Samsung 860 EVO, 960 EVO, 970 EVO, 970 PRO…
Furthermore, it is important to know that this heatsink is not compatible with the ITX motherboard. Made from aluminum alloy, which brings corrosion resistance, hardness, wear resistance, insulation, heat resistance to the cooler and prolongs the service life. And silver plating, which helps eliminate static electricity.
With its dimensions of 75 x 22.7 x 11.7 mm, this accessory promises considerable cooling performance. The cooling result is between 10°C and 20°C, which can obviously vary depending on the environment. Satisfactory operation to avoid possible overheating and maintain PC performance.
5.ELUTENG M.2 2280
Features and Reviews
To complete our selection of the best M2 SSD heatsinks, the ELUTENG brand product seems to appeal to users with its 4.5 out of 5 stars rating. If you choose this model, please note that the pack includes a screw heat sink, an elastic band heat sink, screws, a rubber ring and a thermal silicone pad.
This product is compatible with SSDs including the Samsung 850 EVO, 860 EVO, 960 EVO, 970 EVO, 950 PRO, 970 PRO… It offers rapid cooling on two sides and stabilizes the temperature of the PC. The heat dissipation surface is then enlarged and promises a cooling gain of 10°C to 25°C, which can vary depending on the environment.
The use of high coefficient phase change thermal silicon wafers produces an improved thermal conductivity result. The more you use the PC, the better the thermal conductivity. Made from aluminum alloy, the material facilitates cooling, stabilizes the PC's temperature and helps resist corrosion.
Buying guide for choosing an M.2 SSD heatsink
WHAT IS AN M.2 SSD?
If you are looking for a fast hard drive to transfer your data in seconds and improve the performance of your PC. The SSD is an essential for geeks!
It's hard to do without it after having touched it... HDD hard drives have had their day...
To allow everyone to benefit from it, there are several formats, including M.2. M.2 SSD hard drives were created to allow even greater throughput than standard models! Not equipped with a protective case, these hard drives have the advantage of being very compact.
This type of hard drive is increasingly used in small devices such as tablets or ultra books.
Good to know : If you are looking for an SSD for your PC, come see our comparison of inexpensive 1TB SSDs
Make sure the M.2 SSD is compatible with your PC!
To be able to use an M.2 SSD drive on your computer, you must ensure that your motherboard is compatible in terms of speed with the M.2 slot . Of course, if you don't have any slots on your motherboard, you might as well forget about using one, because it will simply be impossible.
Please note that M.2 slots are generally compatible with SATA and PCI EXPRESS, but under certain conditions, only SATA will be supported. Also, you will find HCI or NVMe compatible cards but given that the latter is 3 to 4% faster, it is preferable to go for the NVMe standard.
The M.2 NVMe SSD to boost the performance of your PC for gaming!
Looking for high performance? So you need an SSD with an extremely fast loading time.
M.2 NVMe SSD hard drives achieve real feats at this level since you will have a difference in loading time which will be around 20% faster than with an HDD hard drive during your gaming sessions. !
And the other big advantage of NVMe is that it will be powered via M.2, which means that it will not need a power supply cable.
On the other hand, this SSD model has two disadvantages
- It is relatively more expensive
- It tends to heat up a lot
And therefore the acquisition of a heat sink will be essential if we want to avoid big problems and this is exactly what we are going to explore in more detail.
THE ADVANTAGE OF AN M.2 SSD
What differentiates performance between different hard drives beyond their capacities? Transfer speed!
If we take the example of an HDD hard drive, its transfer rate is around 200 MB/s for the most efficient models. At the time, it was very good, because the entire ecosystem supported it, both on the software side and on the gaming side. Today it's totally different, if you're still working on HDD, you probably feel that the time is rather long on certain loads, especially with your OS when it starts up.
The speed of an SSD hard drive is obviously higher, but this will depend on the type of hard drive you are using.
And it must be said, depending on the model, the transfer speeds are simply impressive compared to older generation hard drives.
On M.2 SSD hard drives, we will find speeds announced around 5500 MB/s reading and 5000 MB/s writing.
Needless to say, this is disconcerting, and you can feel it when you use your computer. Your OS loads much faster, the applications too, but the icing on the cake is the loading times of video games. No more long minutes of patiently waiting for the loading bar to fill up to 100% to load your game.
Be careful, however, you will have to double check the installation of an SSD regarding its energy consumption and its heating level which are totally different from HDD hard drives. The speed gain provided by SSD hard drives is so appreciable that we can allow it to have some flaws.
WHY DOES AN SSD HEAT SO MUCH?
When we compare the two types of SSD hard drives, we realize that certain differences are very notable, particularly regarding heat. Because if a SATA SSD hard drive rises to temperatures around 30°C , it will not be the same for the M.2 SSD hard drive.
In fact, and to understand why it heats up, you have to understand the difference between a 2.5” SSD and the NVMe SSD. You should know that the 2.5” SSD is in direct contact with the metal which allows it to cool in a “natural” way.
The M.2 SSD, for its part, has a dimension that could be compared to the strips, and moreover if you are wondering why on the manufacturer references, it is listed M.2 2280, and it is quite simply to indicate the dimension of 22mm wide and 80mm long.
As you will have understood, the M.2 SSD will have great difficulty creating heat dissipation if it is not helped by a heatsink . You risk easily raising the temperature of an M.2 SSD if it is in a very narrow space, which is often the case in laptop configurations.
It also happens that the M.2 SSD is placed too close to the graphics card in your PC case, which causes double overheating. An M.2 SSD hard drive that runs around 70°C should be avoided! Your hard drive will therefore last longer if it remains below 50°C.
Good to know : Facebook's comprehensive study of its data centers concluded that overheating has detrimental effects on data integrity and the longevity of SSDs.
While it might be worth spending a dozen dollars more for NVMe PCI-E SSDs compared to traditional 2.5-inch SSDs, given their speed and ease of use without cables, it doesn't matter. should not come at the expense of performance and longevity.
Do NVMe SSDs Really Need Heatsinks? Well yes, no choice, otherwise your hard drive could well lose its life! You will therefore need to equip your hard drive with a heat sink.
The reason is simple, thanks to this heatsink, the temperature will be lower and it will allow your disk to reach a temperature below 30°C at rest and be limited to around 40°C when it is working. intense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we answer some frequently asked questions about an SSD heatsink!
WHAT ALLOY COMBINATION FOR THE HEATSTICK?
Placed very close to our SSD, the heatsink absorbs heat in order to reject it outside, this prevents overheating of the hard drive. For the heatsink to play its role wonderfully, it needs the best possible alloy. Aluminum and copper are recommended .
Based on our tests, lighter aluminum heatsinks offer very good results. You will also find heatsinks made of both materials with a mini-fan to push more heat outside.
Double-sided SSD heatsink or not?
You may have already noticed, but you will find M.2 SSD heatsinks with single-sided or double-sided cooling.
If you have the option of purchasing a double-sided heatsink, this is indeed the recommended one. But you will have to make sure that the size of your SSD is compatible.
Depending on the design of your SSD, you may not be able to equip it double-sided. SSDs are different depending on the manufacturer brand.
For example, it is difficult to mount double-sided on certain CORSAI R SSDs like the MP500 or its thickness complicates things to the point that if you absolutely want to apply the second side, you will have to force it to put it in its location .
We will also note that it is often SAMSUNG SSDs which are generally compatible for double-sided mounting.
So if you have not yet purchased an SSD, it is preferable to check its compatibility before purchasing the heatsink without having carried out your checks first.
HOW TO INSTALL A HEAT SINK?
Install a single-sided heatsink
Note for those that mount on one side, you will generally find a silicone thermal strip, a cooling grid and two silicone eyelets. Assembly is simple, but there are a few precautions to take!
To begin, you will place your M.2 SSD on a soft, fabric-like surface and make sure it is clean to avoid any impurities.
Then you will have to take your silicone band and remove the protective films.
Likewise, make sure you have clean hands, because this strip is generally sticky, and this is not the time to allow impurities to stick to it.
You will then have to apply this tape directly to your M.2 SSD, paying close attention to perfect alignment while checking that there will be no bubbles forming and that the tape is perfectly applied flat.
When this is done, it will be time to attach the heat dissipation plate to it.
Before doing anything, we advise you to clean the heat dissipation plate on the side that will be in direct contact with the silicone band. In the same way as the tape, you will need to ensure that there is no impurity left on it to avoid any future inconvenience.
Once done, apply the dissipation plate to the strip, making sure it is perfectly aligned.
When the operation is finished, you will need to take the silicone grommets, spread them and pass them around this small mounting installation in order to hold all the parts together.
When placing the eyelets, it is advisable to place them at both ends of the plate while not putting them at the edge, and thus leave a little distance.
Once finished, all you have to do is install your M.2 SSD on your motherboard.
Install a double-sided heatsink
Concerning two-sided heatsinks, you will therefore have in hand a small box which will have to be separated into two parts. On one of the two parts, and using the same recommendations as when installing a single-sided heatsink, you will need to first affix the silicone strip.
When this is done, you will place your M.2 SSD on top, always making sure that it is perfectly aligned. You will then only have to place the second part of the case directly on top. Once done, you will need to take the 4 screws that will be supplied with it, and screw them on each side of the case. When this is done, all you have to do is connect your M.2 SSD hard drive.
As you will have understood, installation is relatively simple and will only take a few minutes. Our most important recommendation is to take the time to edit without rushing, and to ensure that no impurities slip into the assembly.
Our conclusion on the SSD heatsink
Often underestimated, you will have a fairly significant temperature gain which will place your SSD below 50°C in intensive use. Whereas we will be around 70°C without a heatsink!
Acquiring a heatsink for an M.2 SSD hard drive is more than necessary if you use your PC at full capacity. Effective in preventing overheating of your SSD, preventing you from damaging it prematurely. The performance of your PC will only be better!
Make sure the type of M.2 SSD heatsink between single-sided and double-sided to be sure of the good compatibility of your SSD hard drive.
