After concentrating two or three NVMe disks on one expansion card, the most easily overlooked issue is heat dissipation. Dense disk slots, superimposed heat in adjacent slots, and poor temperature rise control will directly slow down read and write speeds.
Remember the two lines 70℃ and 85℃
Most consumer-grade and enterprise-grade NVMe disks begin to reduce frequency and speed when the controller temperature exceeds about 70°C. Forced protection will be triggered when the controller temperature approaches 85°C. Continuous high temperatures will also affect the life of the particles. It is recommended to use smartctl to read the temperature regularly after installation. In the server environment, the long-term operating temperature should be kept within 70°C, and the peak value should be treated with at least 3dB margin. When the cabinet air inlet temperature exceeds 35°C, the temperature rise on the card will rise to a higher level and needs to be included in the assessment.
Three heat dissipation variables for multi-port cards
- Heat sink fit: The thickness of the thermal pad should match the height of the particles, and a false fit means no fit;
- Air duct direction: Under the air duct of the computer room with front and rear exits, the back tray of the double-sided layout card is most likely to lack air;
- Slot spacing: Adjacent full-length device cards will warm up each other, and the slot sequence will be adjusted if necessary.
Reduce heat accumulation through model design
For dual-port scenarios, the one with integrated heat sink is preferred.PCI-EX8 to M.2 dual-port expansion card (ultimate version);The density requirements of the four disks are consideredPCI-EX16 to M.2 four-port expansion card (double-sided ultimate version), the double-sided cooling solution is more reliable when combined with the chassis auxiliary fan. For tower cases with poor air inlet conditions, it is recommended to install only two disks per card and leave space between them.
EB-LINK technical support can provide installation sequence suggestions based on the chassis air duct photos and the number of disk slots. The consultation phone number is 0755-83179002. The temperature data is subject to on-site measurement.