Question Thermal Pad Oil on SSD?

[Jff007]

So, weird question, but I noticed that the factory thermal pad placed over the NVMe slot (Dell XPS 9560 laptop) is surrounded by an oil-like substance. Since I'm upgrading to a brand new SSD, I want to make sure that this is completely safe for it. The SSD that is currently in the XPS has the oil-like substance on it, and has some discoloring on the chip as a result. The performance and thermals of that SSD have been fine and solid, but I'm not sure how safe it is.

Additionally, the new SSD is the ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro. Should I use the included heatsink or not? If I do use it, is there a way to install it that would allow me to potentially remove it in the future with no issues should the need arise?

 

[Quarkzquarkz]

The residue is a normal occurance. It even happens on GPU's with thermal pads and internal components that sometimes seep out a bit. You can wipe it off if it bugs you that much but it's perfectly normal.

The m.2 XPG includes a heatsink because they're known to get quite hot. If you're running it on intensive applications for data usage it's a must have but you can always take it off since its applied with thermal adhesive. Good luck!

 

[Jff007]

The residue is a normal occurance. It even happens on GPU's with thermal pads and internal components that sometimes seep out a bit. You can wipe it off if it bugs you that much but it's perfectly normal.

The m.2 XPG includes a heatsink because they're known to get quite hot. If you're running it on intensive applications for data usage it's a must have but you can always take it off since its applied with thermal adhesive. Good luck!

Thanks for the help! I'll be sure to keep the thermal pad then.