I'm using my new gaming PC for titles like Tarkov, Arma 3, and COD, and with just a few installed games, my 2TB SSD is already halfway full. I'm considering upgrading my storage and looking at getting a Crucial T500 NVMe SSD to install in the CPU slot, which is closest to the CPU, but it's underneath my GPU. I've heard that PCIe v5 NVMe drives need a heatsink, but mine is PCIe v4. I'm a bit confused about whether my motherboard has a built-in heatsink at the CPU NVMe slot or if I should add a third-party heatsink. Would a combination of an NVMe with an additional heatsink fit underneath the GPU? Am I overthinking this?
2 Answers
From what I've seen, the motherboard likely doesn't have a built-in heatsink. If you're just gaming and have good airflow in your case, you probably won't need one. Adding a third-party heatsink might not be necessary in your case, but it can help with temperatures if you're concerned.
Yeah, it seems those built-in heatsinks might actually sit on top, just like third-party ones. Thanks for clearing that up!
Most add-on heatsinks are compatible with PS5 and should fit under your PCIe cards. I recommend looking at options like the Arctic M2 Pro or the Thermalright TR-M.2 2280 Type A—they're both low profile and should work well with your setup.
Thanks for the suggestions! I think I'll go with a low profile heatsink like you recommended. Just out of curiosity, how necessary do you think they are for gaming?
Is that silver thing in this photo a heatsink? I was under the impression that built-in heatsinks are located on the motherboard's surface, making it easy to use a thermal pad with the NVMe directly on top.