Yes, it's generally safe to use a motherboard PCIe 'thermal guard' for SSDs.
Yes, it's generally safe to use a motherboard PCIe 'thermal guard' for SSDs.
Your motherboard already has a thermal guard in place. Gen 4 drives can get warm, so using an M.2 drive without a heatsink might not be ideal. Consider a drive with a dedicated heatsink for better cooling.
Thermal guard is a brand name for a heatsink. You're comfortable using the one that comes with your motherboard. The same model I have is on my B450 Aorus M and it has kept temperatures under control without any issues.
Interesting! I thought it was just their typical marketing approach, but I still wanted to verify. Good to know it should function properly. Thanks! It also surprised me at first—usually heatsinks have fins, so seeing a solid piece of metal caught my attention. My favorite part is that the design doesn’t reveal the manufacturer, as indicated on the side. Probably top secret, considering what’s written there.