Source: EK Water Blocks

EK Water Blocks released a new passive heatsink for the M.2 version of the Intel Optane 905P NVMe SSD. The company said it co-developed the product (presumably with Intel) to ensure top performance free of thermal throttling.

The heatsink was granted the unimaginative moniker of EK-M.2 Intel Optane Heatsink--along with all the appropriate copyright marks and trademark notices--and is compatible with M.2 Optane SSDs with a 110mm length (22110).

EKWB said the heatsink's performance "is achieved via thermal pads that transfer heat to the aluminum heatsink that is finned for a larger dissipation area." The design is also supposed to let it be "easy to install" and "aesthetically not intrusive."

The result? According to EKWB, consistent performance combined with a longer lifespan. (We haven't tested these claims ourselves, of course, so we make no guarantees about the heatsink's utility.)

This was all easier said than done. EKWB said the Optane 905P's 9.35W power draw necessitated the use of a dedicated cooler like the one it just released. Otherwise the drive could suffer from regular heat-induced throttling or, potentially, failures.

EKWB was careful to note that the EK-M.2 Intel Optane Heatsink should only be used with motherboards that explicitly say they're compatible with 22110 M.2 SSDs. The heatsink is available now via the EK Webshop and Partner Reseller Network with a $20 MSRP.