An SSD cooler is a device or accessory designed to manage and dissipate the heat generated by a Solid-State Drive (SSD), particularly M.2 NVMe SSDs. These coolers typically come in the form of heatsinks made from materials like aluminum or copper, which are attached to the SSD to draw heat away from the drive. Some advanced SSD coolers (e.g. PCI-E 4.0 or 5,0 SSDs) may also include active cooling elements, such as small fans, to further enhance heat dissipation.
An SSD cooler is important to prevent thermal throttling. Thermal throttling is a mechanism used by SSDs to reduce their performance in response to high temperatures to prevent damage to the components. When an SSD gets too hot, it may automatically slow down to cool off, which can lead to a significant drop in data transfer speeds. An SSD cooler helps maintain lower temperatures, allowing the drive to sustain its maximum performance without throttling. So, an SSD cooler ensures that the drive operates within safe temperature ranges, allowing it to maintain consistent high performance, which is crucial for tasks like gaming, video editing, and large data transfers. Also, an SSD cooler can reduce the heat of the SSD. It is one of the primary factors that can degrade electronic components over time. Excessive heat can accelerate the wear and tear of the NAND flash memory and other sensitive parts inside the SSD. By keeping the drive cooler, an SSD cooler can help extend the lifespan of the SSD, ensuring it remains reliable for a longer period.
In conclusion, an SSD cooler - even a cheap one! - is a crucial accessory for ensuring that an M.2 NVMe SSD operates efficiently and reliably, especially in high-performance scenarios. It prevents thermal throttling, extends the drive's lifespan, and maintains consistent performance, making it an important consideration for users who push their systems to the limits.
In this review will test some SSD coolers, in order to demonstrate that even a cheap one can help us to increase the performances and the lifespan of our device!
ARCTIC M2 PRO: about 10€
be quiet! MC1: about 15€
ICY BOX IB-M2HS-PS5: about 15€
Thermalright M.2 Pro 2280: about 10€