Question mobo m.2 ssd heatsink - removing and reapplying ok?

[dsc106]

My motherboard has a heatsink spreader built into the shield piece for two m.2 ssd drives. The spreader is all one piece. I am planning to leave one slot empty and install one drive right now... but will add a 2nd m.2 ssd in the near future... meaning to do so I have to remove the whole spreader/shield unit.

Is it going to be a problem to remove this heatsink shield to install a 2nd drive? When I put the heatsink on, there is a sticker to remove for the thermal pad to rest onto the SSD, which will go one the first drive, meaning when I pull this off to add the second drive it is going to detach from the SSD and then reattach when I screw back on the shield.

Advice?

 

[knght990]

It should be fine. If, for some odd reason, the thermal pad crumbles or is excessively damaged (not making contact with chips), they are cheap to replace.

 

[KentState]

Like @knght990 said, unless you damage the thermal pad, it will perform exactly the same if reapplied. The only thing to watch for is them stretching which makes them thinner.