M.2 SSD heatsinks ?
M.2 SSD heatsinks ?
Identifying which M.2 drives need a heatsink and which do not involves checking the manufacturer's specifications or using diagnostic tools.
None of them "need" a heatsink. That's a strong statement.
The decision rests entirely with the buyer. If your concern about heat could be eased by a heatsink, consider purchasing one.
You might not be overly worried about temperature. You'd likely understand better than we do.
The SSD is probably built to slow down at a specific temperature. My Intel SSD will slow down at 80, according to Intel specifications. Samsung details might exist for that level of precision. I'm not sure.
The Intel toolbox has informed me it never exceeded low 70s temperatures, and only rarely...under intentional stress. Never during regular use.
Samsung includes the heatsink option because they recognize some buyers will choose it for marketing reasons. Choose what suits you.
Performing a few artificial tests.
Not typical application.
My SSDs have never slowed down. I don’t know how much it might be noticeable.
The Intel Toolbox offers a "Full Diagnostic Scan" to check every address on the drive.
I performed the test the day I purchased the device.
The scan wrote 3 Terabytes in just 6 hours—more than I write in a year under normal conditions.
The highest temperature reached was 73 degrees.
I haven’t seen temperatures above the low 60s during regular use.
The "Warning" temperature for this Intel drive is 75, while the "Critical" threshold at which throttling occurs is 80. Neither has ever been reached in five years of operation.
Frequently handling big data transfers or dealing with a case that doesn't allow good airflow could require a heat sink. Use the m.2 without one and check the temperatures; if they're too high, add a heat sink.
I don't think a 1TB SS 980 Pro would overheat much. But right now, just choose the model with the heatsink and let all the concerns fade away. What's another 20 bucks?