I'm planning to install a Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD on my ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero Motherboard, but I've got a bit of a dilemma. The M.2_1 slot, which is the only Gen 5 slot on the board, has a nice built-in heatsink that uses the Q-Release system. However, this heatsink is single-sided while my SSD is double-sided.
I'm thinking I could just remove the existing heatsink, switch to a standard double-sided heatsink, and ignore the Q-Release latch—can anyone confirm if that's a viable plan? Ideally, I would love to find an aftermarket double-sided heatsink that fits perfectly with the Q-Release platform. Does anyone know if such a product exists?
1 Answer
You actually don't need to worry too much about cooling both sides of the SSD since the main controller chip is on the top. A lot of double-sided coolers, like the Arctic M.2 Pro or Thermalright TR-M.2 2280 Type A, only have thin metal on the bottom. Plus, I've seen confirmation that the Q-Release latch can securely hold a drive with a heatsink attached, so you should be fine without it!
Thanks for the info! I was concerned about double-sided SSDs getting too hot with just a single heatsink, but maybe it's not as big of a deal as I thought.