While solid-state drives, or solid-state drives, have become significantly cheaper over the past few years, these 2.5-inch SSDs are now being replaced by PCI Express-based NVMe SSDs. The new SSDs are much more compact (8 × 2.2 cm) and fit directly onto the motherboard via the M.2 slot.
SummaryHigh Speeds, High Temperatures, Short LifespanDo NVMe SSDs need heatsinks?Running an M.2 NVMe SSD without a heatsinkUsing the heatsink that comes with the motherboardEKWB EK-M.2 NVMe HeatsinkBarrow M Heatsink .2 OLEDConclusion:motherboard or aftermarket, you need a heatsinkNot only are these M.2 drives faster and more compact, they also eliminate the need for bulky power and data cables. NVMe SSD prices have dropped sharply over the past year, to the point where they are only marginally more expensive than their relatively slower 2.5-inch SSDs.
However, their huge storage density leads to overheating. Few people realize that NVMe SSDs can quickly and easily reach temperatures above 80°C (the expected operating range for most NVMe SSDs is between 0°C and 70°C).
We used the Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD in our thermal torture tests. The drive was installed in the same high-bandwidth M.2 slot just above the GPU to maintain consistency between runs. We put the disk through three continuous runs of Crystal Disk Mark 6 by cooling method, each lasting about five minutes. Idle driving temperatures were recorded before the torture tests, followed by maximum temperatures for each run. Room temperature was maintained at 22°C for consistency.
Our testbed is based on the latest 2nd Gen Ryzen platform (Zen 2 microarchitecture), which shouldn't cause any performance bottlenecks since the new X570 platform is inherently over-engineered to take into account supports faster PCI-E 4.0 standard. Here are the specifications of the PC used for testing:
The main graph above reveals the only advantage of using your bare NVMe SSD without a heatsink. Having the controller and NAND flash memory exposed to the airflow inside the PC case allows the bare drive to run cooler at idle compared to two of the three heatsinks. The thermal pads used to thermally couple the aluminum heat sinks with the drive components are not effective at dissipating heat at lower temperatures. This is debatable since a few degrees here and there don't matter as long as the variator stays below 50°C at idle.
However, the victory is short-lived as the Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD reaches a colossal temperature of 94°C after less than a minute after the Crystal Disk Mark 6 stress test. The temperature diode monitoring the Phoenix controller clearly shows that the drive has experienced thermal throttling. The NAND flash modules also reach a temperature of 61°C on the first pass. The next two runs see the controller's thermal protection mechanism do its job and stabilize the temperature at 96°C at the cost of a slight drop in performance. NAND flash memory, however, continues to climb until it gets dangerously close to the maximum operating temperature of 69°C.
Needless to say, this is far from optimal. Although NVMe drives have enough performance headroom to not worry about thermal throttling, this cannot be good for the health of the drive over a long period of time.
Most decent motherboards, and almost all 2nd Gen Ryzen, come with at least one M.2 heatsink to cool your main M.2 drive. Unfortunately, most of these heatsinks don't have enough metal or surface area. Additionally, motherboards that only provide one require you to place your NVMe SSD in awkward slots such as the M.2 slot hidden under the GPU. Not an ideal situation in terms of airflow.
Surprisingly, even the thin, flat and disappointing sheet of aluminum that comes with the ASUS motherboard is the classic case of something better than nothing. In all three tests, the motherboard's SSD heatsink managed to keep the drive well below the 70°C thermal ceiling recommended by most manufacturers. That's another reason to avoid skimping on your next PC's motherboard.
EKWB is a respected name in the PC hardware enthusiast space and quite well regarded for its custom liquid cooling products. However, the nearly $20 SSD heatsink from the same manufacturer makes you wonder if this product is a quick and dirty rebadge deal. The heatsink has none of EKWB's signature materials and build quality. It's as if the brand gave the OEM contract to the lowest bidder and washed its hands of it.
If that sounds harsh to you, take a look at the uneven surface finish and anodizing quality of the face that's supposed to thermally interface with the SSD. The quality and density of the aluminum is nowhere near as good as the asking price might lead you to believe. And that is reflected in his performance. The $20 heatsink is marginally better than the spartan aluminum strip that comes free with a budget Ryzen X570 motherboard. It does its job, but it certainly isn't worth the premium it demands.
Barrow is the Chinese equivalent of EKWB, except its custom liquid cooling products are significantly cheaper than EKWB's offerings. The M.2 OLED Heatsink isn't as expensive as its $18 Slovenian competitor, but it offers more bells and whistles. For that price, you get a crisp OLED display coupled with temperature-sensing diodes built into the heatsink. A glance through the tempered glass side panel is all you need to check on your precious M.2 SSD.
It could be argued that the screen will impede airflow through the heatsink and negatively affect thermals. This, however, is offset by the weight and density of the aluminum used to shape the heatsink. It looks noticeably heavier than the EKWB heatsink and boasts a much better surface finish and anodizing quality. The supplied thermal pads also seem to be of much higher quality. This is amply reflected in performance, as the Barrow SSD heatsink outperforms anything tested before it by a pretty decent margin.
The heat sink is the slowest to heat up due to its density. The fact that the temperature readings of the NAND flash are relatively higher than those of the motherboard heatsink shows that it does a good job of drawing heat away from the controller. It's actually great because, contrary to popular belief, NAND flash performs best and is safest at temperatures of 50°C and above, as long as it stays below 70°C, beyond that. which data integrity may be compromised.
Do NVMe SSDs need heatsinks? Our answer would be an emphatic YES. While it's easy to install and forget your NVMe SSD, these drives can and will critically overheat even during normal day-to-day use. The high performance ceiling of these drives makes it difficult to perceive the effects of thermal throttling, but prolonged exposure to such high temperatures does not bode well for longevity.
If your motherboard didn't come with an M.2 SSD heatsink, you might want to look into aftermarket options. At $18 and free shipping, the Barrow M.2 OLED Heatsink makes a compelling case for itself. The brilliant OLED temperature display is icing on the cake. An investment of $18 doesn't sound bad if you've already shelled out well over ten times that on a new M.2 NVMe SSD.
