Installing new M2 tonight. Use heat sink?

hdmi · Mar 8, 2023

I just noticed, the ThinkCentre M920S doesn't have a PCIe x4 slot. The small one in the middle is just a PCIe x1.

EDIT:

https://most.lenovo.com/api/v2/library/pdf/device2pager/ThinkCentreM920SmallFormFactor

Expansion Slots:
PCIe x16, low-profile
PCIe x1, low-profile
PCIe x16 (x4 signal), low-profile
Bracket for optional port extension

SIW2 · Mar 8, 2023

There might, or there might not. Now he knows the fan header is there, he can have a look.

It also means there is the option of something like the suggestion from @Dark Knight

https://www.amazon.com/ICY-BOX-Aluminum-Dissipation-Specially/dp/B088MF5GY8/ref=sr_1_9?crid=38OSQ55AZL32B&keywords=ssd+heatsink+with+fan&sprefix=ssd+heatsink+with+f%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-9

is there a problem with using the PCIe x16 (x4 signal) ?

ThrashZone · Mar 8, 2023

Wisewiz said:
The kit I've bought comes with a heat sink and thermal pad and clips, but Samsung says, "Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard automatically monitors and maintains optimal operating temperatures to minimize performance drops." It's a 970 EVO Plus 250GB. I'll just be using it for the OS and programs, and no games at all.

Use or not use a heat sink? How say you?

Hi,
Yes it gets hot.

ThrashZone · Mar 8, 2023

by the way amazon/ newegg have the 970 evo plus 2tb for 130.us

Wisewiz · Mar 8, 2023

@hdmi

re: Post #17 above. That one fits the 910S (of which I also have one), but not the 920S. If it looks as though this mod I'm trying just now is successful, I may do the trick with the 910 as well, but with the bracket and a direct mobo connection. I'll have to crack open the 910 and see whether there's a plug-in mounted on the mobo first. I don't think there's one in my 920S. They may not add that to the board unless someone orders the PC with an M2 installed.

Wisewiz · Mar 8, 2023

ThrashZone said:
by the way amazon/ newegg have the 970 evo plus 2tb for 130.us

Yeah, that's a great deal, but if you look at my setup in this shot, you'll see why I'm using 250GB SSDs. These are working machines, and there are no games, no videos, almost no pictures, and almost nothing else on them. OS (C:), 30-odd programs (all portable versions except Macrium and Malwarebytes) (D:), and backups of various things, including MR images on F:. Two externals take up the slack. Two 250GB SSDs handle the internal work with lots of space to spare. Thanks for looking that up for me, though. I appreciate the thought.

Just an additional note: my two external USB drives are 250GB as well. And I have no problems with storage space. It all depends on what you have stored, and I store MR images and document files. That's it.

Wisewiz · Mar 8, 2023

SIW2 said:
The point is that there is an aux fan connector on the mobo.

You're right, m'fren', but there's not enough room anywhere for an added case fan. If I can work that out one day, I'll do it, but for now, the whole thing seems to function perfectly without a case fan. Maybe I'll mount one externally. Hmmm.

Wisewiz · Mar 8, 2023

I'll have to come back tomorrow and hand out some points. John cut me off for today.

Wisewiz · Mar 8, 2023

hdmi said:
Yeah, but if he is going to put an M.2 PCIe NVMe 4.0/3.0 adapter card in the PCIe x4 slot, then there might not be enough clearance to add the fans onto the GPU.

Yes, there isn't enough clearance. I don't know what that modder used to support the two Noctuas, but I don't have that either.

Wisewiz · Mar 8, 2023

SIW2 said:
There might, or there might not. Now he knows the fan header is there, he can have a look.

"he" knew the fan header was there; "he" just didn't know where he could put a fan.

SIW2 said:
is there a problem with using the PCIe x16 (x4 signal) ?

Shouldn't be. That's what I'm doing anyway. We'll see how it goes.

hdmi · Mar 8, 2023

Wisewiz said:
Yes, there isn't enough clearance. I don't know what that modder used to support the two Noctuas, but I don't have that either.

They are mounted onto the GPU card with clips, I would guess. But to hold the little screw at the end of the M.2 NVMe SSD in place, a nylon tube spacer or similar (cut to the right length, then glued to the metal of the PC case with superglue) would do the trick, as it would eliminate the need for the M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0/3.0 to PCIe x4 adapter card altogether. If you need that extra cooling on the GPU.

Wisewiz · Mar 9, 2023

hdmi said:
I just noticed, the ThinkCentre M920S doesn't have a PCIe x4 slot. The small one in the middle is just a PCIe x1.

EDIT:

https://most.lenovo.com/api/v2/library/pdf/device2pager/ThinkCentreM920SmallFormFactor
Expansion Slots:
PCIe x16, low-profile
PCIe x1, low-profile
PCIe x16 (x4 signal), low-profile
Bracket for optional port extension

I used the PCIe x16 (negotiable to x4), and it's now working beautifully. Yay!
The OS (C) and programs (D) are both on (according to Disk Management) Disk 2, the former Local Storage drive is unchanged on Disk 1, and Disk 0, where the OS and programs sat until this morning, is now empty (Data Disk I:\) and awaiting use -- for what, I dunno. But it's there.

Wisewiz · Mar 9, 2023

@ThrashZone @NavyLCDR @Fabler2 @The-Hive @Dark Knight and last but certainly not least @hdmi

You wise friends advised me to use the heat sink. I did. It paid off. According to AIDA64 Extreme:

The 970 is the M2, and it's running very cool, considering its nature as a hot disk.

Thank you, one and all. You're the greatest consultants a man could ask for.

hdmi · Mar 9, 2023

Wisewiz said:
, and Disk 0, where the OS and programs sat until this morning, is now empty (Data Disk I:\) and awaiting use -- for what, I dunno. But it's there.

Use Samsung Magician to set over provisioning to 30% on each SSD. Doing this will shrink the partition on each SSD accordingly, but will help to improve the longevity and performance. Another thing that you could consider also in addition to this would be to set up a Parity Space in Windows 11.

How to Configure RAID in Windows 11? | Create & Configure Storage Pool

In this article, you will learn How to Configure RAID in Windows 11? You can do it using the storage Pool and storage spaces.

www.wikigain.com

A Parity Space can not be used as a replacement for a reliable backup strategy, it can't protect your data against a virus or hacker attack, user error, software error or etc., but what it CAN be used for is to help mitigate the potential risk of permanent data loss in the possible event that the SSD you use to save your important data fails before your backup task is run. Just save your important work to the Parity Space, but don't delay your backup task because it makes you feel safe.

Wisewiz · Mar 10, 2023

hdmi said:
M.2 2280 2242 NVMe SSD Mounting Tray Adapter Kit for Lenovo Thinkcenter

Buy M.2 2280 2242 NVMe SSD Mounting Tray Adapter Kit for Lenovo Thinkcenter for $9.99 with Free Shipping Worldwide (In Stock)

www.moddiy.com

These folks advertise "free shipping worldwide," but the GOTCHA is that you have to buy over $100 worth of stuff. For me, with my puny plastic mount in my cart, they want US$10 for the part, and US$20 to send it to me.

hdmi · Mar 10, 2023

Wisewiz said:
These folks advertise "free shipping worldwide," but the GOTCHA is that you have to buy over $100 worth of stuff. For me, with my puny plastic mount in my cart, they want US$10 for the part, and US$20 to send it to me.

As long as you're not going to need the extra clearance to put fans on the GPU card, you don't really need to change anything. But you could always decide to find a nylon tube spacer or similar, cut it to the correct length, and use superglue to put the spacer where it needs to be to still be able to use the little screw that holds the M.2 SSD in place.

pparks1 · Mar 10, 2023

If i got a drive and it came with a heat sink, or my mobo came with a heatsink I would certainly go ahead and use it if it fit in my case.

I am using the one that came with my mobo on my WD SN850 I have other boxes with Gen 3 drives not running a heatsink and I've never had an issue with them.

ThrashZone · Mar 12, 2023

Hi,
over provisioning is just unallocated space you sure don't need samsung magician to soak up 30+-%
Matter of fact the only reason you might use SM is to update the ssd's firmware and that is all

With exception ot that, SM is just bloatware so don't check start with windows.
Windows is more than capable of running trim.....

Beside 30% is overkill I leave about 20gb unallocated space on a 256gb os ssd this is plenty firmware will do the rest just fine.

hdmi · Mar 15, 2023

I like the fact that Samsung Magician periodically checks for new available firmware updates and notifies me about them on time. I also like the fact that it monitors the health status of the SSD and can provide detailed S.M.A.R.T. info with a brief explanation of what each item is about─whereas most other tools don't let you interpret these infos correctly. Changing the Over Provisioning ratio is both easier and faster (it takes only a small fraction of a second actually, like, hocus pocus and poof, you're done) in Samsung Magician compared to most other tools that let you resize a partition to adjust the amount of unallocated space. Setting the ratio to 30% is not overkill when you don't need more available free space to be able to store all your data, especially in light of the fact that you can still lower the ratio whenever you need, anyway to begin with. Bloat is when the perfect tool for the job is right there under your nose and it's free, but you insist on using other tools just because you can. For most users, Samsung Magician does everything also including at midnight when the moon is full.

cereberus · Mar 15, 2023

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
over provisioning is just unallocated space you sure don't need samsung magician to soak up 30+-%
Matter of fact the only reason you might use SM is to update the ssd's firmware and that is all

With exception ot that, SM is just bloatware so don't check start with windows.
Windows is more than capable of running trim.....

Beside 30% is overkill I leave about 20gb unallocated space on a 256gb os ssd this is plenty firmware will do the rest just fine.

Huh - this post is about heat sinks!