As SSDs get faster and faster, it only makes sense that they get hotter and hotter. An SSD heatsink is a good solution to mitigate this, but if you’re like me, you like to keep things stylish and flashy. These shiny metal heatsinks from EK will keep your SSDs cool and look cool at the same time.
The EK-Quantum Convection heatsink is a passive aluminum block for M.2 NVMe SSDs. According to the product page, it will “prevent thermal throttling in cases with sufficient airflow or significantly extend the time until thermal throttling of the SSD occurs,” which is exactly what heatsinks are supposed to do. So a gold star for EK there.
The heatsinks are made of “high grade” aluminum with a nickel finish and plated with real gold. Available colors are black, silver, nickel and gold. What is surprising is that EK does not go the liquid cooling route given this Quantum product line (opens in a new tab) All about it. And it’s not like we haven’t seen companies named A Liquid cooler on SSD (opens in a new tab) to avoid throttling.
This heatsink is compatible with single-sided and double-sided M.2 NVMe SSDs, and has been tested on drives up to 4TB. Unfortunately, EK doesn’t specify how well it cools the SSD, although it should be better than no heatsink on the SSD.
Installation looks pretty simple, you flip the backplate over, and it will line up with the mounting holes for another set of screws on the heatsink. The rear panel moves away from the main body of the heatsink, leaving room for double-sided SSDs. Basically nothing someone with a small screwdriver and a positive attitude can’t handle.
So, do you need a heatsink for your M.2. NVMe SSD? I would say so. The greater storage density in these drives leads to overheating and affects performance. A heatsink will help preserve its longevity and how long it will maintain excellent performance during large file transfers. Now, do you need a fancy gold-plated heatsink? Only you can answer that. Do I need a fancy gold plated heatsink? My wallet says no, but my heart says yes.
The heatsinks are available through EK website (opens in a new tab). They retail for $36 and ship in about a week. Until then, I’ll be over here thinking how good my SSD would look in gold.