[SOLVED] M.2 SSD mounted next to the GPUs gets hot while rendering. Advice to improve the situation ?

[magicalkhajiit]

My old SSD recently died and now I think I know why. The only two M.2 slots on my mobo (specs below) are right above & under my GPUs, which can run for hours while rendering. The new SSD I got has a heatsink but still gets quite warm (WD_BLACK):

Specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
• Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming K6 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
• Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850 (w/Heatsink) 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
• Storage: Western Digital Blue 2 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
• Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB Turbo Video Card
• Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB TUF GAMING OC Video Card
• Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case
• Power Supply: FSP Group 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

The HDD temps are much lower because it's housed in a separate compartment in that case. Should I have gotten an SSD that doesn't sit on the mobo (Idk what they're called) and can go where it's cooler, by the HDD? I can't return the new one anymore unfortunately. Other options?

 

[Lafong]

I think the WD 850 SSD is a gen 4 product, but your motherboard supports only gen 3, so you can't take full advantage of the WD 850. Not a big deal, but some money wasted.

Yes, you could get a standard 2.5 inch SATA SSD that would mount in a different location and connect by cables, just like the 5400 rpm drive you have.

Apparently your heatsink isn't helping much due to the location near graphics.

You just have to make a wild guess about how harmful your SSD temps are in the long run. The drive could quit in 10 minutes or last longer than you live.

If you are rendering, are temps above 70 for extended time periods? The drive should throttle itself if temps get beyond specs. You might be able to use WD tools to find out max temp ever and if it has ever throttled.

The performance decline if you went to a standard 2.5 inch SSD might be hardly noticeable.

You might be able to alter airflow inside your case...possibly re-routing case fans or buying faster/noisier ones.

There is such a thing as thermal tape to try to cool M.2 drives, but I'm not sure how much it would help in your situation considering that you already are using a heatsink.

Would you lay awake at night worrying if you did absolutely NOTHING about it?

 

[Bob.B]

My old SSD recently died and now I think I know why. The only two slots on my mobo (specs below) are right above & under my GPUs, which can run for hours while rendering. The new SSD I got has a heatsink but still gets quite warm (WD_BLACK):

Specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
• Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming K6 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
• Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850 (w/Heatsink) 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
• Storage: Western Digital Blue 2 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
• Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB Turbo Video Card
• Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB TUF GAMING OC Video Card
• Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case
• Power Supply: FSP Group 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

The HDD temps are much lower because it's housed in a separate compartment in that case. Should I have gotten an SSD that doesn't sit on the mobo (Idk what they're called) and can go where it's cooler, by the HDD? I can't return the new one anymore unfortunately. Other options?

Test in the other m.2 slot.
Read the restrictions on sata ports at the mobo site.

 

[magicalkhajiit]

I think the WD 850 SSD is a gen 4 product, but your motherboard supports only gen 3, so you can't take full advantage of the WD 850. Not a big deal, but some money wasted.

Yes, you could get a standard 2.5 inch SATA SSD that would mount in a different location and connect by cables, just like the 5400 rpm drive you have.
...

Ah, I didn't think too much about it, for once. It was on sale and I needed a drive fast. But atm I can't really afford to burn through them, time- or money-wise.

Today it seemed like keeping the room much colder was helping.

Thanks for all of the ideas

 

[magicalkhajiit]

Test in the other m.2 slot.
Read the restrictions on sata ports at the mobo site.

I'm not sure what you mean in the 2nd part?

 

[Bob.B]

I'm not sure what you mean in the 2nd part?

Each m.2 slot will restrict certain sata ports.
So if you move the m.2 and it restricts a sata port you are using you will need to move to a different sata port.

Look on the mobo web site.