How to fix my graphene heatsink

[hermesa]

The drive is TeamGroup Cardea A440 1TB and it comes with graphene heatsink and aluminium heatsink.I never used the aluminium heatsink because it doesn't do the job about temperatures and instead of that I used it with graphene heatsink + motherboard heatsink and that's the best combo for cooling this drive so far.The problem is that due to many mounting and dismounting the graphene heatsink lost it's ''glue potential'' and now it doesn't stay on the drive anymore... Any ideas how I can reattach it without damaging the motherboard or the drive ? Like some glue/tape or something ?

 

[Solaris17]

Like some glue/tape or something ?

and add another layer?

If you absolutely must maybe tacking opposing edges with a dot of thermal paste to keep it in place might help.

Personally Id consider this lost and move on.

 

[eidairaman1]

Get some thermal expoxy and leave it on there

 

[LabRat 891]

Get some thermal expoxy and leave it on there

Best solution, but too permanent for my personal experiences. -I end up moving drives around a lot.

3M Thermal Adhesive pad would be my first search.
(I'd be tempted to try some of that silicone reusable adhesive 'gecko tape', but it's not meant for the application.)

 

[Bill_Bright]

If you absolutely must maybe tacking opposing edges with a dot of thermal paste to keep it in place might help.

Get some thermal expoxy and leave it on there

Thermal "epoxy" would give me pause. Not that I would ever want to remove the heatsink once properly applied, but epoxy would be considered a permanent bond and thus might damage the chip should you one day wish to remove the heatsink.

There are "adhesive" TIMs (thermal interface materals) often used to mount heatsinks to devices that don't have a heatsink mounting mechanism. Chipsets, for example used to use them alot. So I agree with LabRat 891 and perhaps an adhesive pad or actual adhesive TIM - for a semi-permanent bond. Note this is still an adhesive so does still create a strong bond. For that reason, thermal adhesives are NOT recommended for devices with integrated heat shields like CPUs and GPUs - unless you want to rip the lid off or risk damage the pins.

That said, if certain you want a permanent bond, MasterBond makes some excellent epoxy pastes.

 

[anonuser57]

There shouldn't be any benefit to using the graphene heat spreader if you are also using the heatsink from your motherboard. The point of it is for if you can't use a proper heatsink because you want to put it into a laptop or game console.

 

[damric]

There shouldn't be any benefit to using the graphene heat spreader if you are also using the heatsink from your motherboard. The point of it is for if you can't use a proper heatsink because you want to put it into a laptop or game console.

Yes this. I took the graphene strip off and stuck it to the back side. A440 runs cool anyway

 

[Wirko]

There shouldn't be any benefit to using the graphene heat spreader if you are also using the heatsink from your motherboard. The point of it is for if you can't use a proper heatsink because you want to put it into a laptop or game console.

Agreed, but what about thermal pads? Many SSDs, including my KC3000, and probably your A440 too (same E18 controller) have chips of uneven height, with NAND packages taller than the controller and DRAM. But the controller heats up most. In my opinion the chips should have thermal pads of different thicknesses to compensate for each chip's height.

 

[LabRat 891]

Agreed, but what about thermal pads? Many SSDs, including my KC3000, and probably your A440 too (same E18 controller) have chips of uneven height, with NAND packages taller than the controller and DRAM. But the controller heats up most. In my opinion the chips should have thermal pads of different thicknesses to compensate for each chip's height.

Correct. I've had to cut up and double-up pads before, just for a mediocre thermal bond w/ the controller.

From what little research I've done, the controller is (typically) the only part that actually actively needs cooling (on most consumer SSDs).
NAND performs (minutely) 'better' at warmer tempratures, but the controller will throttle.

For any NVME mounting that allows for the heatsink to 'clamp down'* upon the drive, I use thermal putty now.
'Discovered putty works considerably better than the cheap blue silicone pads, swapping-around drives in NVME<->USB enclosures.




*speaking of...
Most cheapie NVME heatsinks come w/ silicone 'rubber bands' to hold down the heatsink. OP may want to consider similar, if something less-permanent than adhesive is desireable.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Don't forget to look at your case cooling. If your case is not supplying a good "flow" of cool air through the case to move the heat out of and away from the heatsink, you might as well wrap a wool blanket around your devices.

 

[Solaris17]

Thermal "epoxy" would give me pause. Not that I would ever want to remove the heatsink once properly applied, but epoxy would be considered a permanent bond and thus might damage the chip should you one day wish to remove the heatsink.

There are "adhesive" TIMs (thermal interface materals) often used to mount heatsinks to devices that don't have a heatsink mounting mechanism. Chipsets, for example used to use them alot. So I agree with LabRat 891 and perhaps an adhesive pad or actual adhesive TIM - for a semi-permanent bond. Note this is still an adhesive so does still create a strong bond. For that reason, thermal adhesives are NOT recommended for devices with integrated heat shields like CPUs and GPUs - unless you want to rip the lid off or risk damage the pins.

That said, if certain you want a permanent bond, MasterBond makes some excellent epoxy pastes.

I didnt say epoxy as quoted I was very specific.

If you are going to quote me and pull me into a thread and drone about this stuff, atleast make it relevant to the conversation or idea I was having. Thanks.

 

[Bill_Bright]

If you are going to quote me and pull me into a thread and drone about this stuff, atleast make it relevant to the conversation or idea I was having. Thanks.

Gee whiz! Why is everyone so damn defensive around here; wound up so tight they can't wait to pounce on another before really understanding what someone said? And why can no one can dare post an opinion that differs, even in the slightest, from that posted or risk will be taken as a personal insult and reason to then launch their own attack?

Now I get accused of pulling you into a thread when you were already in it before me.

Yes, I quoted you about "thermal paste" - but I also quoted another after you! And it was that other person who suggested "epoxy" - not you. And it was about the epoxy they mentioned, not you, that my comment about epoxy being a permanent bond referred to.

You didn't mention adhesive TIM. I did because IMO, if there is no clamping mechanism to hold a heat sink in place, some form of adhesive is needed. Regular, non-adhesive thermal paste will not hold a heatsink still stationary as, by design, it is not an adhesive. Adhesive TIM will hold the heatsink in place without a clamping mechanism, but the bond typically is not considered permanent.

I thought I was pretty clear on that. Sorry you took such a resentful offense. No offense to either comment was ever intended.

 

[damric]

For any NVME mounting that allows for the heatsink to 'clamp down'* upon the drive, I use thermal putty now.
'Discovered putty works considerably better than the cheap blue silicone pads, swapping-around drives in NVME<->USB enclosures.

Nice. I recently ran out of the old blue thermal pads and switched over to putty myself. First project is VGA backplate for an old Titan X card that has 12 hot VRAM chips on the backside.

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

Get another sheet of graphene? They can be had easily. They are not meant for rough handling, so after several applications, they tend to be structurally diminished.

 

[Wirko]

From what little research I've done, the controller is (typically) the only part that actually actively needs cooling (on most consumer SSDs).
NAND performs (minutely) 'better' at warmer tempratures, but the controller will throttle.

Yes, you can see it in thermal images in W1zzard's reviews. Relatively little heat comes from NAND. Also compare the images of SSDs with graphene stickers against the ones without (such as the latest WD SN7100).

The uneven height of chips seems like a stupid design oversight. A possible logical explanation is that there exist NAND chip packages with various stacks of dies (4, 8, 16) and therefore variable height, while the height of controller and DRAM is always the same.

 

[Ruru]

Thermal "epoxy" would give me pause. Not that I would ever want to remove the heatsink once properly applied, but epoxy would be considered a permanent bond and thus might damage the chip should you one day wish to remove the heatsink.

Putting the component to freezer will help to remove a heatsink glued with thermal epoxy. Done that with my 6700 XT since I needed its glued aftermark heatsinks removed.

Maaaaybe not a recommended solution, but hey, it works!

 

[Bill_Bright]

Putting the component to freezer will help to remove a heatsink glued with thermal epoxy.

Hmmm, never thought of that. I have frequently used heat to soften the bond with old, regular TIM. But never cold. Seems counterintuitive to me but will keep that tip in mind. Thanks.

 

[Wirko]

Get another sheet of graphene? They can be had easily. They are not meant for rough handling, so after several applications, they tend to be structurally diminished.

I'm wondering if those stickers have anything to do with real graphene... Graphene is a 2-D crystal structure that is not supposed to withstand deformations like bending. So even if not obviously structurally diminished, they may cease to perform their role of heat conduction.

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

I'm wondering if those stickers have anything to do with real graphene... Graphene is a 2-D crystal structure that is not supposed to withstand deformations like bending. So even if not obviously structurally diminished, they may cease to perform their role of heat conduction.

They do contain graphene. Those stickers are usually graphene and copper foil, where as something like TG Kryosheet is mostly just a sheet of graphene.

They are reusable (to a degree), but they are delicate.

I tested this. I got some kryosheet. applied it.....and it worked great. I then removed it, and folded it neatly in half a couple times. Unfolded it, and re-applied. Temps were much worse.

Thermalgrizzly actually does have it on their Kryosheet page that the are not recommended for multiple application.

Op should just buy some of the graphene/copper foil stickers if he plans on frequent re-application.