I bought the heatsink-free version of a Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, assuming it could run as sold because the packaging didn't clearly say a heatsink was recommended. The drive repeatedly overheated and sometimes disappeared from the BIOS until I completely powered the system off and back on, so I returned it under warranty. Was I expected to provide a motherboard heatsink or buy a separate one?
3 Answers
It would have been better if the packaging made the requirement more obvious, but manufacturers often sell heatsink-free versions because compatible motherboards already provide cooling. Case airflow and workload matter too, but for a T700, you should treat a proper heatsink as necessary rather than optional.
Your motherboard model typically includes an M.2 heatsink, so the assumption may have been that you would use that rather than run the drive completely bare. Without adequate cooling, a high-speed PCIe 5.0 SSD can throttle, overheat, or temporarily disappear until the system is power-cycled.
Yes, effectively. The bare T700 is intended to be installed under a motherboard heatsink or paired with an aftermarket cooler. The manufacturer’s product information says the non-heatsink version needs one for optimal performance. Many PCIe 5.0-compatible motherboards include an M.2 heatsink, which is why the drive is also sold without one.
I did have the motherboard heatsink originally, but I lost it. I also had trouble securing it because it was longer than the SSD.