My SP Model A:60 512GB PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD has no heatsink. During benchmarks, it reaches about 85°C, while its idle temperature is around 55°C. Since this is a budget drive, is that temperature safe for normal use? I'm mainly concerned about long-term damage to the SSD or motherboard. Would adding a small heatsink or fan help, and should the drive's label be removed first?
3 Answers
Around 85°C is probably close to the drive’s thermal-throttling point, so seeing it during a sustained benchmark isn’t unusual. It should slow itself down before reaching a dangerous temperature, but 55°C at idle is higher than expected. A properly sized M.2 heatsink with a thermal pad and some airflow would be a good idea. You can usually leave the manufacturer’s label in place unless the SSD maker specifically says to remove it; the pad is normally designed to sit over the label. A small fan blowing across the drive can also make a noticeable difference.
A 60 mm fan aimed at the NVMe drive is a simple temporary fix and should lower the temperature, especially if the case has limited airflow. Also check that the drive is installed in the cooler motherboard slot if multiple slots are available, since some slots sit close to hot components. Idle temperature should ideally drop substantially once the drive has direct airflow or a heatsink.
The temperature is unlikely to harm the motherboard. The bigger concern is reduced performance from throttling and potentially more wear on the SSD if it regularly stays hot. Avoid repeatedly running benchmarks just to test it, since they generate heavy workloads and consume some of the drive’s rated write endurance. For normal use, install an inexpensive M.2 heatsink that matches the SSD’s single-sided height and make sure the thermal pad makes good contact with the controller.
The CPU and graphics are using integrated graphics, and the CPU has a large, cool-running heatsink. I’ll check whether the SSD is sitting in a warm or poorly ventilated area and add a heatsink with airflow.