Question NVME SSD and SSD Heatsink Advice Needed

[MasterYoda327]

I plan to build a new gaming PC (1440p or possibly 4K). It will be used for both gaming and drone video editing (4K capable drone) with a dual monitor setup. This PC will be used for both business and personal use. I plan to use a 2 TB NVME PCIE 5.0 X4 SSD for the operating system, my primary games ( FPS, RPG, and Point-and-click), and some video files for editing (dependent on their size). I plan to put my other games on a 2 or 4 TB SATA-based SSD and other video files, especially larger ones, on an HDD with at least 4 TB of space. I have selected possible NVME SSD candidates which are listed below:

 Crucial
• Crucial New 2024 T705 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD with Heatsink - Up to 14,500 MB/s - Game Ready - Internal Solid State Drive (PC) - +1mo Adobe CC - CT2000T705SSD5 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTS93WML?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1 )
• Crucial T700 W/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3K2WRPV?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1 )

 Teamgroup
• TEAMGROUP T-Force GC PRO 2TB Graphene Heatsink DRAM SLC Cache 3D TLC NAND NVMe InnoGrit PCIe Gen5x4 M.2 2280 Gaming Internal SSD Read/Write 12500/11000 MB/s TM8FFL002T0C129 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3LSZVDJ?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 )

My questions are:
1. Would these listed SSDs work for my needs? (Open to alternative reliable brands and models)
2. If it is possible to save money by getting an SSD without a heatsink and buying an aftermarket heatsink, what brands or models of reliable aftermarket heatsinks would you recommend that can handle NVME SSDs running games, video editing tasks, and other demanding tasks?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lutfij]

1| Either one but please be wary that some people have been reporting issues with their Crucial T05 drives.
2| You should look at drives without heatsinks(if your board has heatsinks on them due to board design) since tampering with them can and will void warranty. One example is removing the heatsink on a Samsung 990 Pro will void your warranty.

(Open to alternative reliable brands and models)
Where are you located? What is your budget for your SSD purchase? Preferred site for purchase? Make and model of the motherboard you're looking at?

 

[MasterYoda327]

Where are you located? What is your budget for your SSD purchase? Preferred site for purchase? Make and model of the motherboard you're looking at?

Thanks for the cautionary notice on the Crucial T705. My budget would be $200 for non-heatsink SSD and $300 for heatsinked SSD. My preferred site would be Amazon, but I am open to alternative reputable sites. I haven't selected a motherboard yet since I am still researching on potential internal components. However, I am looking at an AM5 X870 or X870E motherboard for the Ryzen 9800X3D CPU and the brands that I am considering are:
• ASRock
• Asus
• Gigabyte
• MSI

 

[Zerk2012]

Thanks for the cautionary notice on the Crucial T705. My budget would be $200 for non-heatsink SSD and $300 for heatsinked SSD. My preferred site would be Amazon, but I am open to alternative reputable sites. I haven't selected a motherboard yet since I am still researching on potential internal components. However, I am looking at an AM5 X870 or X870E motherboard for the Ryzen 9800X3D CPU and the brands that I am considering are:
• ASRock
• Asus
• Gigabyte
• MSI

Most motherboards today have a heatsink for a M.2 drive.

I would probably stick with a Gen 4 just to avoid the extra heat.

 

[Lafong]

Thanks for the cautionary notice on the Crucial T705. My budget would be $200 for non-heatsink SSD and $300 for heatsinked SSD. My preferred site would be Amazon, but I am open to alternative reputable sites. I haven't selected a motherboard yet since I am still researching on potential internal components. However, I am looking at an AM5 X870 or X870E motherboard for the Ryzen 9800X3D CPU and the brands that I am considering are:
• ASRock
• Asus
• Gigabyte
• MSI

Are you in the USA and do you have access to a Microcenter?

Do you have a list of features that this motherboard must have?

Or not?

Such as:

Number and type of USB ports.

Number of system fan ports

Number and type of video outputs

Number and type of NVME ports

On board audio chip provider

WiFi capability variant

LAN chip provider

VRM details

Capability to flash BIOS without CPU

Visual appeal factors....color, RGB, etc

 

[beyondlogic]

I plan to build a new gaming PC (1440p or possibly 4K). It will be used for both gaming and drone video editing (4K capable drone) with a dual monitor setup. This PC will be used for both business and personal use. I plan to use a 2 TB NVME PCIE 5.0 X4 SSD for the operating system, my primary games ( FPS, RPG, and Point-and-click), and some video files for editing (dependent on their size). I plan to put my other games on a 2 or 4 TB SATA-based SSD and other video files, especially larger ones, on an HDD with at least 4 TB of space. I have selected possible NVME SSD candidates which are listed below:

 Crucial
• Crucial New 2024 T705 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD with Heatsink - Up to 14,500 MB/s - Game Ready - Internal Solid State Drive (PC) - +1mo Adobe CC - CT2000T705SSD5 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTS93WML?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1 )
• Crucial T700 W/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3K2WRPV?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1 )

 Teamgroup
• TEAMGROUP T-Force GC PRO 2TB Graphene Heatsink DRAM SLC Cache 3D TLC NAND NVMe InnoGrit PCIe Gen5x4 M.2 2280 Gaming Internal SSD Read/Write 12500/11000 MB/s TM8FFL002T0C129 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3LSZVDJ?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 )

My questions are:
1. Would these listed SSDs work for my needs? (Open to alternative reliable brands and models)
2. If it is possible to save money by getting an SSD without a heatsink and buying an aftermarket heatsink, what brands or models of reliable aftermarket heatsinks would you recommend that can handle NVME SSDs running games, video editing tasks, and other demanding tasks?

Thanks in advance.

personally if your motherboard came with a heatsink system use that with any other nvme without a heatsink.

if it didnt.

i recomend

the first one if your m.2 is inbetween slots or close to the drive use mc1 its compact and low form factor doesnt clash with some motherboard pci slots i found a nvme on my board was actually preventing my graphics card to seat properly and it wouldnt allow me to release the gpu cause it was to wide and got caught on the tab.
https://www.bequiet.com/en/accessories/2251


option 2 is for nvme near bottom right on some boards i recomend this one.

https://www.bequiet.com/en/accessories/2252

the good thing with these heatsinks they all come with a small tool kit.

 

[MajorTom308]

I plan to build a new gaming PC (1440p or possibly 4K). It will be used for both gaming and drone video editing (4K capable drone) with a dual monitor setup. This PC will be used for both business and personal use. I plan to use a 2 TB NVME PCIE 5.0 X4 SSD for the operating system, my primary games ( FPS, RPG, and Point-and-click), and some video files for editing (dependent on their size). I plan to put my other games on a 2 or 4 TB SATA-based SSD and other video files, especially larger ones, on an HDD with at least 4 TB of space. I have selected possible NVME SSD candidates which are listed below:

 Crucial
• Crucial New 2024 T705 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD with Heatsink - Up to 14,500 MB/s - Game Ready - Internal Solid State Drive (PC) - +1mo Adobe CC - CT2000T705SSD5 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTS93WML?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1 )
• Crucial T700 W/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3K2WRPV?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1 )

 Teamgroup
• TEAMGROUP T-Force GC PRO 2TB Graphene Heatsink DRAM SLC Cache 3D TLC NAND NVMe InnoGrit PCIe Gen5x4 M.2 2280 Gaming Internal SSD Read/Write 12500/11000 MB/s TM8FFL002T0C129 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3LSZVDJ?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 )

My questions are:
1. Would these listed SSDs work for my needs? (Open to alternative reliable brands and models)
2. If it is possible to save money by getting an SSD without a heatsink and buying an aftermarket heatsink, what brands or models of reliable aftermarket heatsinks would you recommend that can handle NVME SSDs running games, video editing tasks, and other demanding tasks?

Thanks in advance.

Back in mid November, like you decided to build a totally new system from the case out. I too like games and do 4k editing. I am currently using some of the parts you are considering, so here is my 2 cents.

Mother board is the Gigabyte x870e Aorus Pro. Has massive heat sink, that keeps my Crucial T-705 4TB running around 40c for productivity apps, 60c while gaming on Steam, 70c to 75c when doing some heavy compiling, and runs at about 95% of rated speed. When you edit and move around those BIG video files you will definitely appreciate the speed. Also equipped it with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D for gaming, hope this information helps in your decision.

 

[das_stig]

Airflow is the key, I purchased a cheapo Chinese black aluminium heatsink for my 1TB WD Black and even when being hammered rarely goes over 55c thanks to front case fans.

 

[Misgar]

My budget would be $200 for non-heatsink SSD and $300 for heatsinked SSD.

I'm surprised there's such a price difference. When I bought my Samsung 980 PRO 1TB with heatsink, it was only $12 more than the 980 1TB with no heatsink. My mobo doesn't have a built in heatsink for the third M.2 slot. I haven't bothered upgrading to a hotter Gen.5 NVMe. It'll probably steal lanes from the GPU.

what brands or models of reliable aftermarket heatsinks would you recommend that can handle NVME SSDs running games, video editing tasks, and other demanding tasks?

If you want a stupidly large M.2 cooler and have the space, try this for $6.99:
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/heatsinks/ihtp-m-2-2280-nvme-cooler-review

You might have trouble fitting with a big air CPU cooler or if your GPU gets in the way.

 

[MasterYoda327]

Back in mid November, like you decided to build a totally new system from the case out. I too like games and do 4k editing. I am currently using some of the parts you are considering, so here is my 2 cents.

Mother board is the Gigabyte x870e Aorus Pro. Has massive heat sink, that keeps my Crucial T-705 4TB running around 40c for productivity apps, 60c while gaming on Steam, 70c to 75c when doing some heavy compiling, and runs at about 95% of rated speed. When you edit and move around those BIG video files you will definitely appreciate the speed. Also equipped it with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D for gaming, hope this information helps in your decision.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely keep that in mind.

 

[MasterYoda327]

I'm surprised there's such a price difference. When I bought my Samsung 980 PRO 1TB with heatsink, it was only $12 more than the 980 1TB with no heatsink. My mobo doesn't have a built in heatsink for the third M.2 slot. I haven't bothered upgrading to a hotter Gen.5 NVMe. It'll probably steal lanes from the GPU.



If you want a stupidly large M.2 cooler and have the space, try this for $6.99:
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/heatsinks/ihtp-m-2-2280-nvme-cooler-review

You might have trouble fitting with a big air CPU cooler or if your GPU gets in the way.

LOL. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[MasterYoda327]

Are you in the USA and do you have access to a Microcenter?

Do you have a list of features that this motherboard must have?

Or not?

Such as:

Number and type of USB ports.

Number of system fan ports

Number and type of video outputs

Number and type of NVME ports

On board audio chip provider

WiFi capability variant

LAN chip provider

VRM details

Capability to flash BIOS without CPU

Visual appeal factors....color, RGB, etc

I am in the USA and there is a Micro Center around 45 minutes from my location. Since my last posting I have made some changes in my plans for my computer's internal components. Please note that I still have not yet selected a motherboard. At this time I am looking at an AMD X870 motherboard from a reputable brand since the X870E boards are $500+.

For USB ports, I would like to have at least 1 or 2 USB-C ports. I want a sufficient number of USB 3.0 ports for an external hard drive, and external Blu Ray and DVD drives (I also rip music CDs and sometimes one drive has trouble ripping a CD while the other doesn't). I would prefer USB 3.0 for the keyboard, mouse, webcam, and external sound card (still undecided on either an internal or external sound card) but I am ok with USB 2.0 if they are rated for that standard.

For system fan ports, I plan to put the maximum number of large diameter fans that the PC case supports (haven't selected a PC case yet) and a CPU air cooler. If motherboard does not have enough fan ports, I plan to get a PWM fan hub (unless case already includes one) and PWM-capable case fans.

I plan to get a mid-range Nvidia RTX 50 or AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPU with sufficient current generation HDMI and DisplayPort output ports for a possible dual monitor setup. I would like the motherboard to have at least 1 HDMI port and 1 DisplayPort, both current generation, but 2 of each would be nice.

I plan to use one M.2 NVME SSD for Windows 11, so I would like the motherboard to have at least 1 port for that type of SSD. On a side note, I plan to install a SATA III-based SSD to store my games and music and an HDD for the video files I plan to create and edit. But I would like the motherboard to have at least 2 free SATA ports incase I need to add more SSDs or HDDs in the future.

For the onboard audio chip provider, I don't have a specific preference except I want it to be a reputable and reliable brand or provider. My current PC uses Realtek. Please also note that I plan to get either an internal or external sound card for gaming and music listening purposes but would like an onboard motherboard option incase the dedicated sound card is out of commission.

For Wi-Fi, I am going with Wi-Fi 7. I plan to install a Wi-Fi 7 antenna card in the PC, but would like built-in Wi-Fi 7 on the motherboard incase the antenna is out of commission.

I am not familiar in the area of LAN chip provider, but I prefer the motherboard to have both wired and wireless internet capability.

I don't mess with VRMs.

I would like to have the ability to flash the BIOS without a CPU in case I decide to upgrade or replace the CPU in the future.

I want a nice looking setup, but I do not have any plans for RGB on the computer except for the keyboard and mouse.

In terms of what internal components I plan to add to the motherboard, in addition to the RAM, CPU, CPU cooler, and case fans, I plan to install an M.2 NVME SSD, SATA III SSD, and HDD (again with at least 2 spare SATA ports available), a GPU, Wi-Fi 7 card, possibly an internal sound card, and if necessary a USB 3.0 and/or USB-C expansion card if motherboard doesn't have enough built in ports for external peripherals (keyboard, mouse, external sound card, external hard drive, printer, webcam, and external USB hubs). I prefer the motherboard to be from a reputable brand in a price range up to $200 but am flexible up to $250.

Thanks.

 

[thestryker]

With regards to NVMe cooling as was mentioned above and I feel could use reiteration: airflow is the most important part. Even a PCIe 5.0 drive running maximum performance doesn't use much power compared to say a CPU or video card, but SSDs tend to have very little airflow. The big heatsinks on motherboards aren't very good for extended use periods (example: my P44s get hotter than my 905p despite the latter using more power) because eventually you'll saturate the heatsink.

I think this is the most recent SSD cooler review here on Tom's: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/heatsinks/graugear-g-m2hp04-f-nvme-cooler-review

This doesn't have the hottest running SSD, but it's a relatively long torture test so the number should still be valuable. Any cooler capable of sub-60C should be good for extended PCIe 5.0 workloads.

 

[PiersPlowman]

I wouldn't bother with an NVME heatsink unless my use case demanded a lot of sustained writes., since that is where the majority of the heat is generated. I do not think gaming and footage editing are particularly heavy on the (sustained) writes.