Solved Which thermal pad for heat sink? Decision based on what?

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

I have a new PCIe adapter for an NVMe drive, and it came with a heat sink for the drive, which had two thermal stick-on pads with it: one thick and one quite thin. I've had really good luck with my four NVMe drives' temps, so I want to use this heat sink, but I don't know (haven't received the NVMe yet) whether some NVMe are thicker than others, and so some would take the thin and some the thick. What's the basis for the decision on which to use?

Helmut · Jan 10, 2024

Depends on the NVMe drive, some have higher memory chips than the controller chip, so you may need to use both pads such that the thin one is on the higher memory chips, and the thicker one on the lower controller chip and buffer memory chips.

Assuming the heatsink plate is just flat. The aim being to fill the gap between the chips and the heatsink plate.

Anibor_11 · Jan 10, 2024

If the SSD is single-side (chips on one side only), use the thick thermal pad. If it is double-sided, use the thin one.

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

Helmut said:
Assuming the heatsink plate is just flat. The aim being to fill the gap between the chips and the heatsink plate.

Anibor_11 said:
If the SSD is single-side (chips on one side only), use the thick thermal pad. If it is double-sided, use the thin one.

Okay. Both of you have helped. Thank you very much.

abactuon · Jan 10, 2024

Anibor_11 said:
If the SSD is single-side (chips on one side only), use the thick thermal pad. If it is double-sided, use the thin one.

But you put a thin layer of thermal paste on the processor ?
On the other hand, they make motherboards nowadays with integrated heat sinks and there is the same thickness everywhere (1mm I think).

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

@abactuon

This is the situation: I'm putting this drive on this adapter card with this heat sink. Once I get the heat sink in place over the disk and the thermal pad, I can't tell whether the pad is in full contact with the sink (I know it's in full contact with the drive, because I stuck the pad to the drive).

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
@abactuon

This is the situation: I'm putting this drive on this adapter card with this heat sink. Once I get the heat sink in place over the disk and the thermal pad, I can't tell whether the pad is in full contact with the sink (I know it's in full contact with the drive, because I stuck the pad to the drive).
View attachment 83740 View attachment 83741

Go to Home Depot, buy an aluminum bar and glue it to the SSD.

NVMe heatsinks

Be the coolest guy on the block...

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

Ghot said:
Go to Home Depot, buy an aluminum bar and glue it to the SSD.

I am perpetually amazed at your quick and complete solutions to every conundrum. How in the world do you do that, Ghot?
If the world just had more Ghot's, why, there'd be no problems at all.

I'm off to Home Depot for a bar and some glue. Bye for now.

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

Actually

, I think I'm gonna go with the thick. I learned what I know from a man who always said, "Never use a one-inch screw when a three-inch screw will do."

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
I'm off to Home Depot for a bar and some glue. Bye for now.

Here's the story...

Someone gave me an old computer with the original Pentium Pro...
The CPU (passive) heatsink had been on there for so many years, that trying to remove it would have destroyed the CPU. The thermal compound had turned to... stone.

Ofc the CPU was over heating.
So... off to Home Depot. Bought me an aluminum bar.
There was a front intake and rear exhaust fan... so I bent the bar to make use of the air flow... then glued it in place. Worked like a charm...

Btw, this computer still works.
It has 96KB of RAM, a vid card with 4KB of VRam.
It has two hard drives. One is 1.2 GB, the other is 2.1 GB
I put Windows XP on one drive and Diablo II on the other drive.

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

Well, that's quite the Lazarus-type resurrection story. I'm impressed. I always knew you had it in ya.

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
Well, that's quite the Lazarus-type resurrection story. I'm impressed. I always knew you had it in ya.

Both still work...

I needed dust filters for the comp on the right.
Off to Home Depot... for some adhesive sheet rock (wall board), mesh.

The holes in the mesh were too big, so I used multiple layers with the holes misaligned.
And because of the adhesive on the mesh, the dust stuck to it fantastically.
When it got clogged up... just peeled it off and put some new layers on.

You can build anything at Home Depot.

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

"Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?"

I just realized I have no comeback for any of that

. Guess it's time to hit the hay. Doctor visit today sapped my energy. X-rays and an echocardiogram coming. I think I'm fine. Doc says I'm older than I think I am. What does he know? Phhhtt.

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
"Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?"

I just realized I have no comeback for any of that . Guess it's time to hit the hay. Doctor visit today sapped my energy. X-rays and an echocardiogram coming. I think I'm fine. Doc says I'm older than I think I am. What does he know? Phhhtt.

My doc appt. was yesterday. PCP and blood work.
Got a call today... they want to do an ultrasound.
My kidney numbers are a little high. :/

Then I have to see the Oxygen guy and Pulmonary after that.
But I'm as healthy as can be. They only got me on 12 different meds. LOL

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

Very best wishes on all of that. Worst-case scenario is that they put you on a thirteenth med. Or a fourteeenth.

With all those pills in the morning, just think of the money you'll save on breakfasts, cuz you're too full o' pills to have any appetite.

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
Very best wishes on all of that. Worst-case scenario is that they put you on a thirteenth med. Or a fourteeenth.

With all those pills in the morning, just think of the money you'll save on breakfasts, cuz you're too full o' pills to have any appetite.

LOL

I take 6 of them at midnight and 4 of them at 4pm.
Then I take the two water pills and the inhaler at breakfast.

Almost forgot... CT scan and Echo-cardiogram once a year.
Good thing the VA pays for all this.

Right now I'm making myself two sweet Italian sausage sandwiches.
My cholesterol level is dropping. The doctors tell me that's a good thing.
I keep telling them: "But I live on grease and cholesterol".
But they don't listen. They think they know everything.

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

Well, in this enlightened country I live in, we’ve got national health coverage, so the taxpayers cover all of my bills. It’s a good idea. Just ask Bernie Sanders. He’ll tell ya.

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
Just ask Bernie Sanders

Is that the guy with the secret chicken recipe? Colonel Sanders or something?

Wisewiz · Jan 10, 2024

I understand your confusion. The resemblance is striking, except that the Colonel has (had) more hair. Just to clarify things, the deceased one never counts his chickens; he eats ‘em. The living one counts his chickens before they hatch, and gets it wrong every time, so far. Clear enough?

Ghot · Jan 10, 2024

Wisewiz said:
I understand your confusion. The resemblance is striking, except that the Colonel has (had) more hair. Just to clarify things, the deceased one never counts his chickens; he eats ‘em. The living one counts his chickens before they hatch, and gets it wrong every time, so far. Clear enough?

LOL

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