Is this 53 degrees @idle Normal for NVMe SSD?

[prateekprakash]

I have a Dell Optiplex 7040 Mini tower, with a 512GB NVMe SSD.

The image below shows 53 degrees at idle.

http://imgur.com/IpZPEzz

Is this temp normal?

For reference, my 256GB Adata SU800 in my laptop remains at 33 degrees at idle.

Our ambient temp is around 25 degrees.

 

[Elixer]

I have seen those hit 95C, then they throttle.
So, 53C isn't a issue.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I would suspect that that's not ideal or normal. My 960 EVO stays in the 20's C. But my usage of it is not intensive, because it contains caching volumes and it doesn't work heavily.

You can buy a PCIE x4 adapter for an NVMe M.2 that has a heatsink accessory. I also think that particular item -- KryoM.2 -- is the only one. I'd even think it possible for a DIY heatsink and (if useful) fan strategy for an NVMe M.2. But it would not involve using thermal epoxy on the M.2. That would be stupid, I think . . .

I ordered the card for myself @ (maybe) $15, and the heatsink for a price in the similar range.

If you're using the motherboard M.2 port, I'm not sure what I'd do except to mount a small fan somewhere above the M.2 card, perhaps blowing down on it.

I think I'd "worked inside" an OptiPlex model for an older CPU-gen. If it's the case that causes the temperature, that could be fixed, but I cannot see how that would happen with those cases.

There's always a chance that the system isn't reading the thermal SMART data properly.

HERE: M.2 heatsink kit -- $15 bucks

I wish I'd found this before ordering the KryoM.2 parts. Demonstration for the linked product utilizes the ASUS M.2 & "Hyper-Kit" card, which I'm currently using, and feel may be a better electronic environment for a good M.2 NVMe drive. Couple good Mexican dinners. I should make more than the usual amount of taco-meat at home, to compensate needless expenses like this.

My best excuse is that nobody seems to have this simpler and more applicable accessory kit in stock. "Out . . . of STOCK!"

 

[VirtualLarry]

For reference, my 256GB Adata SU800 in my laptop remains at 33 degrees at idle.

How do you like the SU800 in a laptop? Is it stable? Is it fast? Been thinking for a while now about picking a few of them up for builds.

Currently using some PNY CS1111 240GB SATA 2.5" SSDs in my DeskMini mini-STX rigs. (Even though I could use some PCI-E M.2 SSDs, still saving up and waiting for a big+cheap version of those, maybe if Newegg drops the price of them again like they did around BF. Not really interested in paying $170 for a 512GB model, when you could get the 512GB SU800 2.5" SATA for like $125.)

 

[prateekprakash]

How do you like the SU800 in a laptop? Is it stable? Is it fast? Been thinking for a while now about picking a few of them up for builds.

Currently using some PNY CS1111 240GB SATA 2.5" SSDs in my DeskMini mini-STX rigs. (Even though I could use some PCI-E M.2 SSDs, still saving up and waiting for a big+cheap version of those, maybe if Newegg drops the price of them again like they did around BF. Not really interested in paying $170 for a 512GB model, when you could get the 512GB SU800 2.5" SATA for like $125.)

Its working fine... Here is the CrystalDisk Mark reading:

http://imgur.com/a/1b3k5

 

[prateekprakash]

I have seen those hit 95C, then they throttle.
So, 53C isn't a issue.

Its been 6 months already, , And only during severe copying file does it rise to 75+ degrees.
Maybe its because there is almost minimal airflow in the chassis, as I have crammed a GTX 1060 mini and a Seasonic TFX 350 PSU in there, So the insides couldn't get more jammed up...

 

[prateekprakash]

I would suspect that that's not ideal or normal. My 960 EVO stays in the 20's C. But my usage of it is not intensive, because it contains caching volumes and it doesn't work heavily.

You can buy a PCIE x4 adapter for an NVMe M.2 that has a heatsink accessory. I also think that particular item -- KryoM.2 -- is the only one. I'd even think it possible for a DIY heatsink and (if useful) fan strategy for an NVMe M.2. But it would not involve using thermal epoxy on the M.2. That would be stupid, I think . . .

I ordered the card for myself @ (maybe) $15, and the heatsink for a price in the similar range.

If you're using the motherboard M.2 port, I'm not sure what I'd do except to mount a small fan somewhere above the M.2 card, perhaps blowing down on it.

I think I'd "worked inside" an OptiPlex model for an older CPU-gen. If it's the case that causes the temperature, that could be fixed, but I cannot see how that would happen with those cases.

There's always a chance that the system isn't reading the thermal SMART data properly.

HERE: M.2 heatsink kit -- $15 bucks

I wish I'd found this before ordering the KryoM.2 parts. Demonstration for the linked product utilizes the ASUS M.2 & "Hyper-Kit" card, which I'm currently using, and feel may be a better electronic environment for a good M.2 NVMe drive. Couple good Mexican dinners. I should make more than the usual amount of taco-meat at home, to compensate needless expenses like this.

I'm afraid I shall not be able to do any modding, as there is no space in the cabinet for either a fan or a seperate PCIe adapter... And yes, the drive is connected to the mobo m.2 slot.

 

[UsandThem]

Perfectly normal:

http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/samsung-960-evo-m-2-1tb-nvme-ssd-review,7.html

If you're concerned about the temps, the only things you can do are: Get better airflow on it at its current M.2 spot (or move it onto a PCIe card), or attach some type of heatsink to it.

They run warm when pushed, but don't seem to get as hot as the 950 PRO did.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

DIY heatsink that would work on any card or socket application of an M.2

As long as this secures properly and doesn't become a liability to the M.2.

I'm going to run a test of my own on vacant logical volume of my 960 EVO, and watch the temperature monitor appropriate from my installed software collection.

Just running Magician benchmark wouldn't put sustained load on the M.2. But it showed a 5C increase in the 960 EVO's temperature, at a maximum of 33C.

For myself, I'm trying to select hardware in a purchase-plan and budget for the next few months. My personal caching experiment seems to be working, but I can see it would be better to get a 1TB M.2 NVMe, and do the caching to it for any remaining SATA devices.

 

[FFFF]

I have a Dell Optiplex 7040 Mini tower, with a 512GB NVMe SSD.

The image below shows 53 degrees at idle.

http://imgur.com/IpZPEzz

Is this temp normal?

For reference, my 256GB Adata SU800 in my laptop remains at 33 degrees at idle.

Our ambient temp is around 25 degrees.

It's within normal limits, the thing you should look out for is the temperature when you're using your system intensively. Without a heatsink, a M.2 NVMe SSD will usually reach over 70° at load and start throttling which will result in a significant performance decrease.

 

[Justinus]

I would suspect that that's not ideal or normal. My 960 EVO stays in the 20's C. But my usage of it is not intensive, because it contains caching volumes and it doesn't work heavily.

You can buy a PCIE x4 adapter for an NVMe M.2 that has a heatsink accessory. I also think that particular item -- KryoM.2 -- is the only one. I'd even think it possible for a DIY heatsink and (if useful) fan strategy for an NVMe M.2. But it would not involve using thermal epoxy on the M.2. That would be stupid, I think . . .

I ordered the card for myself @ (maybe) $15, and the heatsink for a price in the similar range.

If you're using the motherboard M.2 port, I'm not sure what I'd do except to mount a small fan somewhere above the M.2 card, perhaps blowing down on it.

I think I'd "worked inside" an OptiPlex model for an older CPU-gen. If it's the case that causes the temperature, that could be fixed, but I cannot see how that would happen with those cases.

There's always a chance that the system isn't reading the thermal SMART data properly.

HERE: M.2 heatsink kit -- $15 bucks

I wish I'd found this before ordering the KryoM.2 parts. Demonstration for the linked product utilizes the ASUS M.2 & "Hyper-Kit" card, which I'm currently using, and feel may be a better electronic environment for a good M.2 NVMe drive. Couple good Mexican dinners. I should make more than the usual amount of taco-meat at home, to compensate needless expenses like this.

My best excuse is that nobody seems to have this simpler and more applicable accessory kit in stock. "Out . . . of STOCK!"

While the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink looks neat, stealth, cool, and like a nice way to keep a drive cool while maintaining use of the M.2 slot and clearance for PCI-e cards above it, there are some drives that it would not sufficiently cool.

Take a look here at a KryoM.2 review. They test a 950 Pro in 1) a bare drive in a PCI-e add in card, 2) The same card with the heatsink it comes with, and 3) a KryoM.2

The heatsink on their cheap add-in card looks like it has more thermal mass than the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink setup, yet still fails to sufficiently cool a 950 Pro in their testing. A 950 pro is definitely not the hottest M.2 drive out there, the RD400A and M8PE beat it out by quite a lot. I think the AlphaCool heatsink might be sufficient for a 960 Pro or Evo as they run quite a lot cooler than the 950 Pro did, but for any old hot M.2 drive it wouldn't fully alleviate the symptoms of heat.

For science! And because I ordered a 960 Evo 1TB (and the AlphaCool thing is in stock now) I'm going to order one and get some details about how hot the drive is before and after installing, which could be compared to the KryoM.2 I have a 960 Pro in as I believe they should run similar temperatures with the same controller. (They are different versions of the same controller, so I expect some difference will be had but I think the temperature delta will be comparable between the two.)

Edit: As for the OP, you could throw together a quick fix like I did originally before I discovered better boutique cooling products for M.2 drives - I bought some 15mmx15mm heatsinks and 0.8mm thermal adhesive pad and stuck a heatsink directly on the drive controller like this:

If there was an easy way to ship you a tiny heatsink (obviously won't fit in a standard envelope) I would send you one and a thermal adhesive pad to attach it. You can only buy a pad too big (cut to size) and heatsinks in a 6, 8, or 10 pack so I have lots of extras.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

While the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink looks neat, stealth, cool, and like a nice way to keep a drive cool while maintaining use of the M.2 slot and clearance for PCI-e cards above it, there are some drives that it would not sufficiently cool.

Take a look here at a KryoM.2 review. They test a 950 Pro in 1) a bare drive in a PCI-e add in card, 2) The same card with the heatsink it comes with, and 3) a KryoM.2

The heatsink on their cheap add-in card looks like it has more thermal mass than the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink setup, yet still fails to sufficiently cool a 950 Pro in their testing. A 950 pro is definitely not the hottest M.2 drive out there, the RD400A and M8PE beat it out by quite a lot. I think the AlphaCool heatsink might be sufficient for a 960 Pro or Evo as they run quite a lot cooler than the 950 Pro did, but for any old hot M.2 drive it wouldn't fully alleviate the symptoms of heat.

For science! And because I ordered a 960 Evo 1TB (and the AlphaCool thing is in stock now) I'm going to order one and get some details about how hot the drive is before and after installing, which could be compared to the KryoM.2 I have a 960 Pro in as I believe they should run similar temperatures with the same controller. (They are different versions of the same controller, so I expect some difference will be had but I think the temperature delta will be comparable between the two.)

My KryoM.2 (2 parts) are being shipped. I have several loose ends to tie up on this computer in terms of hardware choices that include my own modding efforts: notably, a Lexan duct channeling air from half the motherboard underneath it, and the exposed area toward the rear and PCIE slots. The KryoM.2 is especially helpful for "modding the mod" because it sits vertically, and air from one intake fan will blow down through the heatsink fins of the KryoM.2.

But I also felt gratified by my currently-installed ASUS Hyper M.2 card, which resurrected the 960 EVO from being "reset" after a system hiccup and recognized again for the Samsung controller. For that possibility, I ordered the cheap $12 Gnome-Tech card -- which I also linked.

I can trade off M.2 cooling efficiency against motherboard cooling and efficiency, as long as any heatsink assembly touching the M.2 card represents some unobtrusive improvement. I'll certainly be interested in your AlphaCool results, but like I said, for me -- it is "Out of Stock!"

All of this nickel-and-dime stuff adds up over time. One expects small purchases here and there that are unnecessary or duplicative. Of course, this round begins an emerging era of motherboards, chipsets and deployment opportunities for M.2 NVMe, so even the wise but curious will be "parted with their money." I'll just make another three pounds of Turkey Taco meat for the freezer, since the nickel-and-dime leaks are depriving me of carry-out Mexican dinners and I can "make my own."

I'm just glad the idea of "making my own" M.2 heatsink seems too troublesome compared to buying more than one of these options -- to pick the one I plan to use.

 

[UsandThem]

Worth a read:

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Samsung-950-Pro-M-2-Additional-Cooling-Testing-795/

I know a lot of review sites, like Anandtech, state most users don't need any additional cooling for NVMe drives, but I say I think it is smart if a person plans on keeping it for many years. It seems to make a big difference in temps and sustained performance.

I mean, a stock Intel cooler prevents CPU damage, but most of us use aftermarket cooling for better cooling/quietness.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Worth a read:

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Samsung-950-Pro-M-2-Additional-Cooling-Testing-795/

I know a lot of review sites, like Anandtech, state most users don't need any additional cooling for NVMe drives, but I say I think it is smart if a person plans on keeping it for many years. It seems to make a big difference in temps and sustained performance.

I mean, a stock Intel cooler prevents CPU damage, but most of us use aftermarket cooling for better cooling/quietness.

Yup. My first and only NVMe is a 250GB 960 EVO which I purchased just to "get my feet wet" and experiment.

I'm contemplating a 960 Pro versus EVO choice of a 1TB. For either the ~$630 or $480 price-tag, I'll want to assure cool-running, and I don't want to be fiddling with anything after an initial physical installation in the system. That's just an ideal: I've pulled the EVO from my box about twice and reinstalled it -- getting my feet wet, ya see . . .

EDIT: [for "EDIT:" by XabanakFanatic] He confirms my thought that you can apply a DIY thermal solution just as he has done. that raises issues about clearance, effectiveness, etc. But it is an option -- and you don't have to make your own Taco-Meat!

 

[Justinus]

Yup. My first and only NVMe is a 250GB 960 EVO which I purchased just to "get my feet wet" and experiment.

I'm contemplating a 960 Pro versus EVO choice of a 1TB. For either the ~$630 or $480 price-tag, I'll want to assure cool-running, and I don't want to be fiddling with anything after an initial physical installation in the system. That's just an ideal: I've pulled the EVO from my box about twice and reinstalled it -- getting my feet wet, ya see . . .

It's definitely a tough choice between the PRO and EVO. If you're still on the fence, I will have some impressions next week about the two side-by-side. I will admit I would've never purchased either for the MSRP, but I got the PRO at $510 and the EVO now at $382 after selling the bundled Watch Dogs 2.

EDIT: [for "EDIT:" by XabanakFanatic] He confirms my thought that you can apply a DIY thermal solution just as he has done. that raises issues about clearance, effectiveness, etc. But it is an option -- and you don't have to make your own Taco-Meat!

Yeah, it's pretty easy as long as you can figure out which chip is the controller and apply the heatsink onto it. No need to remove the label, the thermal transfer is still adequate for how much cooling the small heatsink is capable of. You can even remove the heatsink and re-apply it without damaging the label (I removed and re-applied it 3-4 times on my 950 Pro while I was screwing with stuff).

It's not fancy and it interferes with the PCI-e slot that's next to it, but it works. In the photo, it took that RD400 256GB from thermal throttling at the beginning of one round of CrystalDiskMark to no throttling in 3 back-to-back rounds, which I was satisfied would prevent any throttling under normal usage (It was for a friend who only plays games on his computer, so definitely not a power user). That drive is obscenely hot, however, and the heatsink would be too hot to touch with the system just sitting idle.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

It's definitely a tough choice between the PRO and EVO. If you're still on the fence, I will have some impressions next week about the two side-by-side. I will admit I would've never purchased either for the MSRP, but I got the PRO at $510 and the EVO now at $382 after selling the bundled Watch Dogs 2.



Yeah, it's pretty easy as long as you can figure out which chip is the controller and apply the heatsink onto it. No need to remove the label, the thermal transfer is still adequate for how much cooling the small heatsink is capable of. You can even remove the heatsink and re-apply it without damaging the label (I removed and re-applied it 3-4 times on my 950 Pro while I was screwing with stuff).

It's not fancy and it interferes with the PCI-e slot that's next to it, but it works. In the photo, it took that RD400 256GB from thermal throttling at the beginning of one round of CrystalDiskMark to no throttling in 3 back-to-back rounds, which I was satisfied would prevent any throttling under normal usage (It was for a friend who only plays games on his computer, so definitely not a power user). That drive is obscenely hot, however, and the heatsink would be too hot to touch with the system just sitting idle.

The review from the Seattle company was interesting, and revealed how airflow can improve things with or without a passive heatsink. [But that should be obvious, especially for small-form-factor cases].

As I said in another thread, I initially wanted to use both my motherboard M.2 slot and reap the need-for-speed advantages of NVMe. You could comment, but if it is even possible to use the M.2 slot for it, I'd prefer putting an M.2 SATA card in there or just leaving it empty. It's all a balancing act for wisely using PCIE slots (even the x1's.) And a balancing act for SATA pretensions.

Nobody added much more to my threads on PrimoCache, but it seems to be working. The only problem, it shows that the cache-volumes on the NVMe drive have now filled up after four days with Primo's "stealth-caching" during computer idle. But you can't measure the improvement with benchmarks, and the improvement doesn't occur immediately. They will change that with version 3.0, or so they say.

So now I envision boot-OS volumes (dual-boot) between 300 and 400 GB each, and a caching volume for each OS. This would certainly mean that I needn't use any RAM to cache the NVMe drive, so I can use that RAM for caching SATA devices together with the NVMe as "SSD-caching" for SATA devices only.

As for the Pro versus EVO question. Either you or someone else pointed out that the difference in spec sequential read and write rates is due to the Pro's use of some SLC memory, or additional "black-parts" in the drive design. The longevity of a Pro is estimated at 1.2 PB, but the "warrantied" limit for the EVO is 400 TBW. I suspect the EVO may last to a point between those two number, but 400 TBW could be a long time.

All of this folds into hopes for "a single purchase" at the right prices, and I'm looking at the options for that reason also.

I HAVE TO SAY, THOUGH . . . . this Skylake system is plenty fast, with no regrets for integrating a couple spinners and the ADATA SATA SP550.

 

[prateekprakash]

While the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink looks neat, stealth, cool, and like a nice way to keep a drive cool while maintaining use of the M.2 slot and clearance for PCI-e cards above it, there are some drives that it would not sufficiently cool.

Take a look here at a KryoM.2 review. They test a 950 Pro in 1) a bare drive in a PCI-e add in card, 2) The same card with the heatsink it comes with, and 3) a KryoM.2

The heatsink on their cheap add-in card looks like it has more thermal mass than the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink setup, yet still fails to sufficiently cool a 950 Pro in their testing. A 950 pro is definitely not the hottest M.2 drive out there, the RD400A and M8PE beat it out by quite a lot. I think the AlphaCool heatsink might be sufficient for a 960 Pro or Evo as they run quite a lot cooler than the 950 Pro did, but for any old hot M.2 drive it wouldn't fully alleviate the symptoms of heat.

For science! And because I ordered a 960 Evo 1TB (and the AlphaCool thing is in stock now) I'm going to order one and get some details about how hot the drive is before and after installing, which could be compared to the KryoM.2 I have a 960 Pro in as I believe they should run similar temperatures with the same controller. (They are different versions of the same controller, so I expect some difference will be had but I think the temperature delta will be comparable between the two.)

Edit: As for the OP, you could throw together a quick fix like I did originally before I discovered better boutique cooling products for M.2 drives - I bought some 15mmx15mm heatsinks and 0.8mm thermal adhesive pad and stuck a heatsink directly on the drive controller like this:

If there was an easy way to ship you a tiny heatsink (obviously won't fit in a standard envelope) I would send you one and a thermal adhesive pad to attach it. You can only buy a pad too big (cut to size) and heatsinks in a 6, 8, or 10 pack so I have lots of extras.

I really appreciate your idea, just one question in mind: In the picture the heat sink has been attached over the SSD Label, so does it work effectively even then?
I do happen to have spare heatsinks like that from an Accelero Twin Turbo III, shall try to adhere over the Label itself...

 

[prateekprakash]

Thanks everyone, I guess I shouldn't be very worried about those temps then, as I don't do too much storage intensive task either.

Really appreciate the the suggestions from Elixer BonzaiDuck XabanakFanatik UsandThem FFFF .

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I really appreciate your idea, just one question in mind: In the picture the heat sink has been attached over the SSD Label, so does it work effectively even then?
I do happen to have spare heatsinks like that from an Accelero Twin Turbo III, shall try to adhere over the Label itself...

With your "thanks everyone" post, it looks as though you've settled your worries.

I was only going to remark on XabanakFanatik's revelations on this. His DIY heatsink is a good idea with drawbacks, in that it would interfere potentially with other components. He is apparently ahead of us for testing these PCIE expansion-card heatsink-combinations.

Maybe his position has changed on this, but I'm coming around to the view that the KryoM.2 card and passive heatsink is among the better options. It sits vertically and out of the way; a sidepanel fan thoughtfully placed could blow air right through the channeled-aluminum heatsink.

If anyone is interested in my experiment for using an NVMe as a caching drive for other SATA storage, I'll post it in my languishing thread about it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

We-u-u-llll . . . . Pilgrims! This thread started with a member's question about cooling. Because of this thread, and an outlay less than $40, I have the cooling thing "licked" before I really get to use "cooling things," but the 960 Pro 1TB should arrive in the mail just about the time the delayed shipment of KryoM.2 parts and a cheap $12 "Gnome Tech" assembly from another source.

I need input myself, now, from any volunteer, just trying to avoid unfortunate detours. I almost always resolve detours, but they take a lot of extra energy.

I'm currently configured socket an NVMe M.2 into my PCIE-"x16" x4 slot at bottom of the board. All the drivers have been installed in two versions of windows -- dual-booting Win7/Win10. The OSes reside on a single SP550 SATA SSD ~480 GB, but not in the same logical volume. the unlabeled system files and two ~200GB logical volumes contain the OSes.

I'm going to clone this drive to the NVMe, and I've done cloning many times. I expect that -- for safety-- I'll have the software shut down Windows after the clone so I can remove the SATA cables from the SP550, and test-run my first boot from the NVMe. I cannot imagine this will be any different than cloning an SATA SSD to another, or an SATA HDD to an SATA SSD.

Is there -- are there -- anything or things I need to watch out for? At least I'll have the SATA SSD for a backup.

I may put a second NVMe SSD into the system in the last available slot offering x4 or greater. I think I'll go pose a question over in the graphics forum, but these days I have more and more questions that are less and less necessary -- but always seeking second opinions.

 

[Justinus]

For anyone interested in a brief comparison of the KryoM.2 add in card heatsink vs the AlphaCool M.2 heatsink, I have some numbers.

960 Pro bare: 26C idle, 53C peak, 27C delta
960 Pro Kryo: 23C idle, 29C peak, 6C delta

960 Evo bare: 26C idle, 54C peak, 28C delta
960 Evo Alpha: 31C idle, 48C peak, 17C delta

Done with a CrystalDiskMark run of 3x1GB test size. Obviously the KryoM.2 is significantly better at cooling with a larger heatsink and absorbing heat through the PCB.

As for impressions, the KryoM.2 is very well made. The heatpad for the bottom was a bit thick so in order to avoid the drive bending over it I had to roll it slightly flatter. Aside from that, I'm completely satisfied with the product.

The Alphacool: Seems cheaply made. The anodizing and etching for the logo looks kinda shitty. The clips are cheap and the thermal pads are significantly lower quality than the KryoM.2's. I had to cut some pads to pad extra over the controller since the 3D VNAND is much taller than the controller chip. It was difficult to get the retaining clips on and at first I was honestly afraid the clamping force would break the drive. Despite my best efforts, the drive is bent slightly inside the cooler. It looks pretty good in the M.2 slot, but the performance isn't all that great and with my concerns over how hard it clamps, I'm overall not satisfied with the product.

There's a chance I might take it back off and not even use it. I'd rather get another KryoM.2 already.

Edit: I figured out the reason it looks like crap is the Alphacool is painted, not anodized. I doubt between the crappy paint and the crappy thermal pads that it's allowing much transfer of heat. I'm guessing that's why my idle is even higher than the bare drive.

 

[UsandThem]

Do you mind sharing where you ordered Kyro from? It seems like many places are charging close to $85 (fulfilled by Amazon, sold by AquaComputer), which seems like way over MSRP. I see Newegg has one through a 3rd party seller (ModMyMods) for $33, but I've never heard of them before, but they seem like they have good user reviews there.

 

[Justinus]

Do you mind sharing where you ordered Kyro from? It seems like many places are charging close to $85 (fulfilled by Amazon, sold by AquaComputer), which seems like way over MSRP. I see Newegg has one through a 3rd party seller (ModMyMods) for $33, but I've never heard of them before, but they seem like they have good user reviews there.

I got it from Performance PC's, but I bought three at once (two for my brother) to consolidate shipping cost. It ended up being like $33 each shipped.

Edit: I should probably clarify that on my x99 motherboard, using the M.2 slot disables one of my PCI-e slots so I have no motivation to use the M.2 slot over sticking a PCI-e card into the slot it disables.

I might feel differently about using the AlphaCool if I had a motherboard with the M.2 isolated from the slots, leaving the slot available for another device.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I got it from Performance PC's, but I bought three at once (two for my brother) to consolidate shipping cost. It ended up being like $33 each shipped.

Edit: I should probably clarify that on my x99 motherboard, using the M.2 slot disables one of my PCI-e slots so I have no motivation to use the M.2 slot over sticking a PCI-e card into the slot it disables.

I might feel differently about using the AlphaCool if I had a motherboard with the M.2 isolated from the slots, leaving the slot available for another device.

I'm sure I ordered mine -- arrived yesterday -- from Performance PC's. It seems odd, but I distinctly remembered you had to pick the card and choice of waterblock or passive heatsink separately -- separately priced as seemingly separate items.

But it all arrives in the same little glossy Aqua-Computer retail box. I think, before tax and shipping, the total was maybe $30. Looks great, works great.

My biggest troubles over these last two days were resolved on my recent thread about cloning Dual-boot Win7/Win10 from SATA SSD to NVMe M.2. You're going to have trials and tribulations when you make these sorts of upgrades and changes. It's best if you can simply minimize the trials and tribulations. But you will always have some. . . . HEY! Like I blasted with typeface and bold in that thread -- It's all wonderful now!

 

[Justinus]

I'm sure I ordered mine -- arrived yesterday -- from Performance PC's. It seems odd, but I distinctly remembered you had to pick the card and choice of waterblock or passive heatsink separately -- separately priced as seemingly separate items.

But it all arrives in the same little glossy Aqua-Computer retail box. I think, before tax and shipping, the total was maybe $30. Looks great, works great.

My biggest troubles over these last two days were resolved on my recent thread about cloning Dual-boot Win7/Win10 from SATA SSD to NVMe M.2. You're going to have trials and tribulations when you make these sorts of upgrades and changes. It's best if you can simply minimize the trials and tribulations. But you will always have some. . . . HEY! Like I blasted with typeface and bold in that thread -- It's all wonderful now!

There's a version of the card + heatsink as a bundle for $2 less than buying seperately here. I think there's a good chance if you ordered each part individually they probably just threw the box for the bundle in your order.