I'm building a home server for storage and game hosting, migrating my 990 Pro M.2 SSD from my main PC. The challenge is that my new server's motherboard doesn't have a built-in heatsink for M.2 drives. Should I invest in a standalone heatsink? Is it necessary or does it really make a difference?
3 Answers
Your SSD should manage its temperature well enough, as it usually throttles if it gets too hot. So, it's likely that you can use it without a heatsink. But if your SSD came with one, I'd still recommend installing it for optimal performance. Did yours come with a heatsink originally?
While heatsinks might not be a game-changer, they’re pretty cheap—about 10 bucks. If I were in your shoes, I'd grab one just to be safe and have some peace of mind.
Heatsinks aren't crucial for NVMe drives unless you’re dealing with Gen 5 in a Gen 5 slot. Your Gen 4 SSD shouldn't heat up to a dangerous level. That said, a heatsink is easy to find on Amazon, and slapping one on your drive yourself is a breeze!
Wait, hold on! Gen 4 drives can definitely thermal throttle without a heatsink, just maybe not as fast as Gen 5 drives. To keep them safe, it's best to use a heatsink unless you want to go back to Gen 3.