Some ultra-high-end M.2-2280 SSDs tend to overheat under high loads, which is why some users tend to install high-performance aftermarket coolers on such drives. We have recently seen ultra-large M.2 coolers with heat pipes and a fan from RaidSonic and a couple of other makers. But ElecGear probably decided to outperform all of them with its M11 cooler in terms of performance, usability, dimensions, and... noise levels.
The ElecGear M11 M.2-2280 SSD cooler (discovered by @momomo_us) features two aluminum heatsinks, a backplate, a 6-mm heat pipe that is in direct contact with the drive, and a 30mm high-pressure fan that spins at up to 9300 RPM producing a 3.16 CFM airflow (rather strong for such a small fan). The heat pipe removes the heat directly from the SSD controller and 3D NAND memory chips and transfers it to the larger heatsink that is cooled down using the PWM-controlled fan. The manufacturer bundles thermal paste and pads with the cooler.
From a performance point of view, ElecGear promises that the M1 can lower the temperature of a high-performance SSD by 12°C to 25°C, which is impressive if you are dealing with a drive that overheats under high loads (which tends to happen to today's best SSDs with a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface). Since some next-generation PCIe 5.0 controllers may actually get even hotter under heavy loads, cooling could become even more critical on the upcoming Gen5 M.2 SSDs.
Measuring 83×32.6×52 mm (3.15×1.32×2.05 inches), the ElecGear M11 is actually the largest M.2 coolers that we have encountered thus far (including those two from RaidSonic), so users should ensure that such a big device can fit into their rigs. Meanwhile, a good thing is that the larger radiator is height and angle adjustable, which is meant to improve its compatibility.
There is no word about the noise levels this fan produces, but typical numbers for 30mm 9000-RPM high airflow fans vary between 25 dBA and 30 dBA. While the noise levels are not that high (they are in line with what we see from larger coolers), keep in mind that the noise emitted by large fans resembles humming, whereas noises produced by small fans are close to whining.
