Temperature of mSATA SSDs...

[unko]

Hello, i read a lot about crucial temperature for their msata drives but what about other brands? Do they also IDLE @50C° and jump to 60-70C° when reading/writing a lot..? This is pretty annoying, it's the hottest part of the laptop..!

 

[Digerati]

Blame notebooks, not the SSDs. It is the restrictive space and lack of air flow due to insufficient fan support in notebook cases that prevents efficient extraction of the SSD's heat that is the real problem here. While 70°C is disconcerting, the fact SSDs are physically smaller and have much less "mass" than hard drives means those 70°C sources of heat have much less impact on over all heat inside the notebook case (like a lit match in a room compared to a lit fireplace).

There really is nothing you can do but to ensure good air flow with regular cleaning to prevent buildup of heat trapping dust, and perhaps the use of a Notebook Cooling Pad w/ext. power supply (a good idea anyway) to ease your concerns.

 

[unko]

Looks like android still can't handle redirected links..

 

[Digerati]

Don't know what that means.

 

[unko]

Anyways, don't you think their life will be reduced due to this issue? Heard of thermal pads but never had any, should I try?

 

[Digerati]

I don't know what a notebook thermal pad is but if it does not have "active" cooling (fans), I would not waste my money.

Excessive heat is bad, but the SSD makers don't consider that excessive.

 

[unko]

How bad? Will it die a month after warranty expire..?

 

[Digerati]

If I could make such predictions, I'd be a billionaire.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't know what a notebook thermal pad is but if it does not have "active" cooling (fans), I would not waste my money.

Excessive heat is bad, but the SSD makers don't consider that excessive.

Thermal pads are a form of TIM (Thermal Interface Material) that are usually self-adhesive. The pads stick to a surface needing cooling and a heat sink then sticks to the pad. They are convenient for mass production because the heat sinks don't have to be clamped down as they would with more conventional TIM. Their downside is they do not transfer heat as well as conventional TIM. Thermal pads do not cool by themselves; they have to be used in conjunction with a heat sink.

I have read of people using small heat sinks, such as VRM or Raspberry Pi heat sinks, the size of the chips on a mSATA SSD to cool them, attaching them with thermal pads, sometimes getting as much as a 20°C reduction in heat.

 

[Digerati]

Thermal pads are a form of TIM (Thermal Interface Material) that are usually self-adhesive.

Thanks Jeannie, I am very familiar with those "thermal pads". But I am not certain that is what unko was talking about because his response seemed to be in response to the cooling pad I mentioned. And I note he said, "notebook thermal pad". The TIM pads you refer to really have nothing to do with the fact it is a notebook. TIM pads are for CPUs and GPUs and chipsets - regardless if in a PC or notebook. So I was really seeking clarification from him, to be sure we are all on the same.

 

[unko]

Whatever it is called, could you show it to me (picture or link) so i don't order something wrong.. Thanks

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Thermal pads.

Laptop cooler:

 

[unko]

I was talking about "small heat sinks" you mentioned helping loosing 20C°..

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

What I said (or, at least, meant) was up to 20°.

Some examples (not to scale):

 

[unko]

Ok I have some but quite big.. The space above the msata in my laptop must be only 2-3mm.. Can I still find something?