The need to keep modern Gen 5 SSDs cool has resulted in a market for m.2 heat sinks, and there's a wide variety of choices to consider. Heat sinks of sizes large (with compatibility issues) and small, in a variety of form factors and even with active cooling, are now available to keep your SSD cool.
In previous reviews of heatsinks, some users have expressed concerns about the height and size of the units I was reviewing. It's true that many of the strongest NVMe m.2 heatsinks and coolers can have compatibility issues with certain air coolers if installed next to a CPU. Skived Copper Heatsink
With today's review, we're looking at Acidealie's VB01 SSD m.2 heatsink. It offers thermal performance superior to most competitors on the market, utilizing two heatpipes and two heatsinks for cooling. However, unlike the massive Thermalright HR-09 Pro, it arrives in a compact profile which won't cause compatibility problems.
When NVMe heat sinks first hit the market, many of the units included with certain motherboards were gimmicks and actually resulted in higher SSD temperatures. Cooling m.2 drives wasn't really a concern back then, but today's PCI-e Gen 5 SSDs aren't able to sustain their peak performance without some form of cooling. The controller found in most PCI-e 5 SSDs currently on the market is Phison's E26, which has a TJ Max (maximum temperature) of 125C - much hotter than previous generation products.
Does the Acidalie VB01 standout enough from the competition, to make it worthy of your hard earned money? We'll see in the benchmarks shortly, but first we'll take a quick look at the unit's features and design.
The VB01 has two heatsinks to transfer heat away from your SSD, one directly touching the m.2 drive and one that is suspended above the base.
The fins on the heatsink are fairly thick, with matching thick gaps for airflow between them.
In addition to its dual heatsinks, the VB01 incorporates copper heatpipes to dissipate (transfer) heat away from your SSD.
Many of the strongest heatsinks are tall, which can cause compatibility issues with certain system configurations. Acidalie's VB01 has a low profile, which means it won't run into any compatibility problems. I had EK's CR240 AIO cooler installed when I tested this Acidalie's VB01, and the VB01 was actually lower than the standoffs on the EK AIO when installed.
The VB01 arrives in a small brown box not much larger than a cell phone, with an outer covering showcasing the product.
Opening the box reveals the contents, the heatsink is protected by a soft covering and molded foam. Included in the box are thermal pads, the heatsink, and a screwdriver.
To start installation you'll need to use the included screwdriver to remove the screws from the sides of the unit. Set the first thermal pad at the bottom of the unit, and place the NVMe m.2 SSD inside. Afterwards, use the blue thermal pad pieces on top of the NAND blocks and SSD controller.
Remove the peel from the pads, and place your SSD in the base of the unit. Place the heatsink inside of the base, and secure it with the included screws.
The last step is to connect the SSD to the m.2 slot, and secure it with a screw.
In my previous review of Thermalright's HR-10 Pro, some readers expressed concerns that these units might present compatibility issues with GPUs. Acidalie's VB01 can be installed with both air coolers and GPUs, it doesn't suffer from compatibility problems. To be sure, I installed a prototype Intel DG1 GPU next to the heatsink, as pictured below.
To test the performance of the heatsink's cooling ability, I’ve run a custom IOMeter script which takes 30 minutes to complete testing. This script is designed to cause the drive, and especially it’s controller, to create as much heat as possible. You might consider it a “Furmark” of SSD testing, it’s a power virus designed for the purpose of testing NVMe cooling.
Acidealie's VB01 heatsink does very well hear, with a SSD temp recorded of 65c in a 23c ambient environment. Even if you're a professional with workloads that hammer a storage drive, Acidealie's VB01 will keep the SSD operating at reasonable temperatures.
While it's thermal performance here isn't the absolute best, all of the units that outperform it are also taller than the VB01 - which means they may have compatibility issues with certain air coolers due to height restrictions, whereas the VB01 will work fine regardless.
Acidalie's VB01 is able to run the TeamGroup Z540 SSD at it's peak performance of 4900 IOPs in this stress test. As you can see from the chart above, reduced temperatures don’t always translate into higher benchmark performance - but it will increase it’s lifespan and longevity. A SSD running at or near peak temperatures (also known as TJunction Max or TJ Max) with have a lower lifespan compared to one running at a more reasonable temperature.
For coolers like the VB01 which are able to run a SSD unthrottled, a great way to look at it’s value is to compare the thermal improvement for every dollar spent - how well does the heatsink keep a Gen 5 SSD Cool for the amount of money spent?
Looking at the way I have this chart displayed now, you might think that the VB01 doesn't offer the greatest value. But this chart doesn't tell the whole story - every heatsink that offers a greater performance/$ in this chart is also a product that is taller than Acidalie's VB01 and can encounter compatibility issues that the VB01 doesn't.
Once I've tested more of these units I'm going to split this chart into two parts - one section for units that have low-profiles, and one section for larger heatsinks.
Acidalie's VB01 offers very strong thermal performance paired with a low profile package, ensuring compatibility no matter what type of CPU cooler you're using. Reaching only 65c during our 30 minute torture test, the VB01's thermal performance will allow your Gen 5 SSD to run unthrottled without reaching extreme temperatures.
If you're a professional or other user with storage intensive workloads, a heatsink of some kind is required to maintain peak performance with modern SSDs. If you're interested in Acidalie's VB01, it has a MSRP of $22 but is generally available for $20 on Amazon.com
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