Preventing Thermal Throttling in High-Speed SSDs
Modern M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 and Gen5 SSDs transfer data at speeds up to 7,500 MB/s to 12,000 MB/s. At these high transfer rates, the onboard SSD controller microchip gets extremely hot.
1. Controller Temps vs. NAND Flash Memory
The SSD controller needs cooling to stay under 70°C and prevent write speed drop-offs (thermal throttling). Interestingly, NAND flash storage cells actually perform better and last longer at warm operating temperatures (40°C-50°C).
2. When Is a Heatsink Mandatory?
- PCIe Gen4 / Gen5 SSDs: Mandatory. Always use motherboard aluminum heatsinks or aftermarket copper heatpipe coolers.
- PS5 Console SSD Storage Expansion: Mandatory for Sony PlayStation 5 M.2 expansion slot compliance.