Thermaltake MS-1 M.2 SSD cooler launched with tiny 8,000-rpm fan, heatpipe, and heatsink
Claimed to prevent PCIe 5 SSD throttling.
Cases, cooling, power, and accessories brand Thermaltake has launched a new M.2 SSD cooler with an active fan, heatpipe, and heatsink for cooling. The new MS-1 M.2 2280 SSD Cooler is claimed to outclass an original passive heatsink, and third-party actively cooled rivals, to deliver noticeably better performance and the smoothest gaming experience (see video of tests, below).
In its testing, Thermaltake used a Crucial T700 PCIe Gen5 SSD, and data regarding SSD performance and temperatures were shown via the on-screen UIs of CrystalDiskMark and HWInfo, respectively.
In Thermaltake's results, you can see the MS-1 does noticeably better than the T700's passive solution, as expected. It also outclasses an unnamed third-party active cooler with far better-mixed data transfer results, and the chart shows consistently lower temperatures. A little digging revealed the unnamed third-party active cooler was probably this model from Ineo, which retails on Amazon for $14.99.
Of course, we should take Thermaltake's testing with a pinch of salt; as with any company, there is an interest in making the product look as good as possible. Conspicuous from its absence in the 'lab test' was any noise measurement. The MS-1 would be a noisier solution than a passive cooler, but that would be expected. Pitting the Thermaltake cooler's 8,000 rpm fan noise profile against the 10,000 rpm Ineos would have been interesting.
Part No. |
CL-O043-AL02BL-A |
Compatibility |
M.2 2280 PCIe SSDs |
Dimensions |
14 x 22 x 70mm |
Materials |
Aluminum heatsink, 6mm copper heatpipe |
Fan |
20 x 20 x 8.6mm, 8,000rpm, 0.44CFM, 60,000 hour life |
Noise |
16dBA |
Power |
12V, 0.42W, 3-pin connection |
Though it isn't mentioned in the spec sheet, or on the product page, exploded diagrams show that the MS-1 comes with two thermal pads to sandwich your bare M.2 SSD between.
Thermaltake hasn't provided pricing and availability details, however, we note that the MS-1 M.2 2280 SSD Cooler can be seen in retail listings all over Europe for prices ranging from 20 to 35 Euros and beyond. With the aforementioned competitor at $15, we hope Thermaltake will aim for a fair price below $20 in the U.S.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.