Do I need heatsink on M.s drives?

[Enquiries]

Do I need heatsink on M.s drives? Or can I use any m.s drives with pre-installed heatsink on the M.s drives. Or do I need to but specific heatsinks from QNAP?

[ed]

In general, whether you need a heatsink on your M.2 drives depends on the specific model and how you intend to use them.

1. Do M.2 Drives Need Heatsinks?
M.2 SSDs can generate heat, especially during high-performance tasks such as intensive data transfers or gaming, so adding a heatsink can help improve their performance and longevity by keeping temperatures in check. If you notice your M.2 drive gets very hot during operation, a heatsink can help maintain optimal performance.

2. Pre-installed Heatsinks
If your M.2 drives come with a pre-installed heatsink, you don’t need to buy additional ones, as they are designed to provide adequate cooling. This is especially common with high-performance NVMe drives, which may require active cooling in systems with limited airflow.

3. QNAP-Specific Heatsinks
You don’t necessarily need to buy QNAP-specific heatsinks unless you're looking for a specific design or compatibility. Many third-party heatsinks will work just fine. However, it’s important to ensure the heatsink is compatible with your M.2 drives and fits within the NAS chassis.

Conclusion
If your M.2 drives already come with heatsinks, you're likely good to go. But if you’re using high-performance M.2 drives without heatsinks or your NAS environment has limited airflow, adding an extra heatsink can help prevent throttling due to overheating.