Reviewing the Elecgear PS5 Designed Heatsink for SSD Upgrades
The Elecgear heatsink for PS5 is an unusual piece of kit, there is no denying it. Every since the option to upgrade the storage on your PS5 via the M.2 SSD expansion bay was activated, many Playstation 5 gamers have had to learn a few new things about the latest generation of solid-state drive (SSD) storage. Alongside concepts like NVMe, M.2 and PCIe generations, PS5 gamers have had to learn about how this latest generation of super-fast SSD storage can get hot! Not quite as hot as it might get in video editing studios and professional content creators, but still hit enough for them to make provision. Sony themselves at the enabling of the m.2 SSD slot of the PS5 were VERY keen to highlight that gamers should purchase an m.2 heatsink of a very specific size and dimension for inside their console (in the m.2 expansion bay) to allow the SSD inside to dissipate (transfer) the heat being generated on the SSD to the heatsink and allow it to pass it into the air – thereby allowing the SSD to remain cool and high performing. A useful bit of information, HOWEVER, most m.2 SSD heatsinks were designed for PC case use – big cases that feature multiple internal fans, open-air and plenty of space. The PS5 M.2 SSD upgrade slot however is small, barely fits even modest M.2 heatsinks and requires a cover (which seems like madness to a PC user). So, as the PS5 has allowed SSD upgrades and needs a heatsink, some brands got to work on producing specifically PS5 designed heatsinks and into this arena, we now find the ElecGear PS5 SSD heatsink (aka the EL-P5C). Arriving at a noticeably higher price point than most, the $35-50 PRICE POINT (depending on where you shop online and only in 3-4 regions) is 3-5x more expensive than a regular PC M.2 heatsink and even more expensive than the current Sabrent PS5 heatsink that is currently the ‘score to beat’ (review HERE). So, today I want to take a close look at the Elecgear PS5 heatsink, review its design and build quality, perform some temperature tests, compare it with cheaper alternatives and ultimately design if it is the right move for you and your PS5 gaming in future. Let’s begin.
Elecgear PS5 SSD Heatsink Review – Quick Conclusion
The Elecgear does EVERYTHING that it says it can and will do. From maintaining one of the lowerest SSD temperatures that I have witnessed on the PS5 NVMe SSD for the most part, to the clear effort that has gone into the design of the heatsink to existing both in and outside of the PS5 M.2 SSD expansion slot, you cannot question it’s ability to keep your SSD running at an optimal operational temperature! The price tag seems a little high (at $35-50 depending on where you shop at online) especially given the $10-15 dollar price tag of most other M.2 SSD heatsinks – something that I could accept IF it was the only S5 designed heatsink. But given that Sabrent released their own PS5 heatsink, currently priced at $20 (with SSD combo options) 3 months before, that pricetag is a little harder for some to swallow. Nevertheless, even in the general airflow and temperature of the PS5, the elecgear seems to make sure not to impede or negatively impact the core system temp, which is a big plus in its favour. Overall, I can definitely recommend this heatsink for those of you that play your PS5 every single day and for moderately extensive periods, but for light gamers and those that jump on at weekends – this might be a bit overkill.
Elecgear PS5 SSD Heatsink Review – Retail Packaging
The retail box for this PS5 designed heatsink is…well…a little underwhelming. I know that $35+ is not a huge sum of money, but at the same time, there is a certain branding that ‘gamer’ focused accessories have a tendency to lean towards and that is a bit absent here. Even the $10-15 heatsinks that have popped up over the last few months have made a small attempt to factor this in, but the ElecGear EL-P5C definitely has the feeling of production line haste about it.
Likewise, the contents of the box, although pretty detailed in their scope, are kind of ‘thrown’ in there. I know there is little to no moving parts here to make considerations for, but it is another one of those areas where you feel that this kit is a little cheap feeling.
However, one could easily argue that the money has been spent on the kit itself. The contents of the Elecgear PS5 heatsink is actually quite extensive when compared against its more affordable competitors. The EL-P5C kit includes the PS5 designed heatsink itself, a paper multi-language manual, mid-quality micro-screwdriver, thermal pads and a rather unique SSD riser.
Now to put these accessories into perspective, the Sabrent PS5 heatsink includes all but the riser kit, the Eluteng PC M.2 heatsink has everything but the riser kit and the INEO Heatpipe PS5 heatsink is a different story altogether. The ElecGear PS5 SSD heatsink includes the means to increase the height of the M.2 SSD installed in the PS5 upgrade slot and ensure it is raised further from the PS5 main PCB underneath, as well as reduce the distance between the SSD and the heatsink.
Now, this is quite an unusual extra for a console system. Although this is moderately common with custom PC builds (because the wide variety of motherboards and CPU placements in that area are so diverse physically), but on a closed and uniform system like the PS5, I was surprised to see it. The argument is that thicker/double-sided NVMe SSDs need further ground clearance and room to allow further heat dissipation, as well as making sure than an installed SSD has a closer connection to the heatsink you pair it with. Indeed, ElecGear themselves say the following on their own product pages:
“It seems the leading maker Sony does not belong to M.2 SSD industry. We don’t think that the stock screws mount M.2 SSD appropriately in the memory compartment. ElecGear did it better with a re-designed fixing structure for your gaming SSD. The modified guide post, standard M.2 screw and even a copper washer to adjust the height of SSD are included in the box” – ElecGear, Product Pages, Amazon.com
For my temperature tests later, I used the single-sided TeamGroup T-Force Cardea A440 SSD, so I did not use these risers. But I think there IS a ring of truth in what Elecgear are saying here, but more on how heavily the heatsink connects with the SSD, as the M.2 slot in the PS5 is a little lower than I would like and therefore even a 0.5mm difference can greatly reduce the effectiveness of heat dissipation from the SSD to the Heatsink. Another way in which Elecgear have addressed this concern in their PS5 heatsink kit is in the thermal pads that are included. The x4 thermal pads that are included are in pairs of two different thicknesses of 0.8mm and 1.5mm. Once again, a nice touch and something that the rather understated nature of the package presentation would suggests would be absent. So you have two differing heat pads for your SSDs that allow better dissipation levels of 4.8W/m-k and 3.6W/m-k on the blue and pink panel respectively. There is also an instructional manual that details the installation and also covers the installation of the SSD riser panels and washer kit.
The manual seems fine at first glance, but there are certainly a few grammar errors present and again, it is little things like this in terms of presentation that result in the Elecgear PS5 heatsink getting undermined, despite its excellent contents. However, that is enough fo4 the packaging and presentation. Let’s get to grips with the Elecgear PS5 heatsink itself, the design and how it works.
Elecgear PS5 SSD Heatsink Review – Design
A good look at the Elecgear heatsink for PS5 shows us that this thing is pretty large! indeed, with the eluteng $10 heatsink of choice for budget buyers measuring at just 70x22x6mm, the Elecgear towers over it at 128x72x14mm. This is because it is designed to both fill AND sit outside of the PS5 M.2 SSD expansion bay, thereby both collecting the heat generated by the SSD, but also using the PS5 internal system fan to cool the heatsink at the same time – thereby allowing much faster and efficient heat dissipation fo the SSD in use over hours and hours of play.
Now, the big, big difference between a PS5 designed heatsink like the elecgear EL-P5C and a regular M.2 heatsink design that was made for PC use primarily, is to do with airflow. NVMe SSDs (such as those used by the PS5 for storage upgrades and PC gaming) get quite hot when in use. They have no moving parts, but the faster the SSD read/write speed, the hotter it can get over time. Heat is a big, BIG problem for SSDs, as it can result in the performance being throttled/bottlenecked by the system, as well as affecting the durability of the SSD long term. That is why Heatsinks are important and although the PS5 is a much less intensive read/write system than a bigger PC or editing machine, it still can affect the SSD.
The m.2 slot on the PS5 is quite small, as well as arrives with a cover that Sony insist should always cover your M.2 SSD. This is a little counterintuitive to most SSD heatsinks, as they are DESIGNED to live directly in the open airflow of a PC case or under/above a fan kit in a laptop – this allows the heat being collected by the heatsink from the SSD to be dispersed int other air. Closing a PC designed heatsink into that PS5 SSD slot seems the very opposite of that. That is where the elecgear PS5 heatsink comes in. It covers the SSD you have installed in the M.2 slot, but instead of replacing the PS5 M.2 metal plate cover, the elecgear fills the space and then spreads out over the side and is angled towards the large, single internal PS5 fan. This allows the heatsink to collect all that heat from the SSD, and then disperse it directly into the incoming fan. But we will touch on that element a bit later.
The vents of the elecgear heatsink are clearly designed for use in the PS5 system, in direct alignment with both the fan AND the air channelling internal curves of the PS5 that direct airflow into the fan. The lines are also ventilated to allow air to pass in and out of the heatsink too – a nice extra touch. However, the heat dissipation is taken an extra step further when you flip it over. The base of the Elecgear PS5 Heatsink (that connected with the SSD you installed in your console, along with a thermal pad) not only covers the entire length of a 2280 length drive, but also features an excellent copper pipe (5mm x 98mm)
Now, this copper pipe is a big deal when compared against exclusively aluminium only heatsinks. The copper pipe is considerably more effective at drawing heat from the SSD components (the controller, primarily) and this heat can be delivered to the aluminium plate (as well as the plate still collecting heat of its own accord from the SSD too). This massively increases the potential heat dissipation when in use and almost certainly dramatically decreases the typical temp of the SSD inside the PS5. This and the fact that the larger heat plate is in the immediate airflow path of the internal fan, makes this almost certainly the most effective heat-dissipating heatsink you can buy on PS5. However, it does this at a potential cost of ‘robbing’ airflow that was designed to keep the PS5 system CPU, GPU, memory and its own SSD cool.
Let’s get the Elecgear PS5 heatsink installed inside the PS5, see how it sits, how high it is against that fan and ultimate temperature test it to see how well it performs and whether it negatively/positively affects the PS5 system temp elsewhere.
Elecgear PS5 SSD Heatsink Review – Installation
Installation of the Elecgear heatsink is incredibly straightforward – but only if you are not planning on using the riser kit. The riser kit that is designed to improve the connection of the SSD and heatsink is optional and in order to properly test this heatsink with a typical SSD PS5 installation (versus a regular heatsink), I decided to install it without the riser kit. Your SSD goes inside the M.2 SSD expansion slot. Make sure you use a thermal pad from the accessory kit and lay it across the top of the SSD. You can place a thermal pad UNDER the SSD if it is double-sided, but your MAIN priority should be the side with the controller/brains of the NVMe SSD.
NOTE – Ignore the wire on the photo, this was just the thermometer cable I used in testing for this review
Then you simply slot the heatsink itself into the slit that the usual PS5 SSD cover plate would fit and close the heatsink into place. You will know that it is installed correctly as the screw hole at the top will align with the hole that the PS5 Screw (topped with the square, circle, triangle cross) is visible. When installed, the heatsink looks a perfectly natural fit and even looks like it would not have looked out of place as an official component at launch – something many have complained at Sony for in relation to SSD upgrades on this system.
Looking at this heatsink from a tighter/low angle, you can see that it rises from the base level of the PS5 internal plat by around 2-3mm. It still completely allows the external PS5 side plates to be reinstalled (with no contact between them and the heatsink), as well as the grooved channels of the Elecgear heatsink to line up with the PS5 external vent lines and deliver that air to the internal PS5 fan – it just also uses that are to cool the heatsink (and in turn assist the SSD temp) along the way. I am still a little thoughtful about if this increases the airflow by much on its way to the PS5 fan (which is pushing air over the internal components of the console), but we will get to that later.
The Elecger heatsink also takes advantage of the same screw hole and screw that the PS5 has already to cover the m.2 slot, as well as having a counter-sunk shape to make sure that the screw still goes in at the full depth of the hole, whilst not interfering with the integrity of the heatsink.
Overall, the heatsink is clearly very well designed in conjunction with the PS5 shape internally, as well as clear architecture choices being made here to ensure that airflow to the existing PS5 internal cooling measures are unimpeded as much as possible. Let’s see how the Elecgear heatsink for PS5 handles internal temperatures and those of the SSD controller.
Elecgear PS5 SSD Heatsink Review – Temperature Testings
Temperature testing for the Elecgear PS5 SSD heatsink has been broken down into several areas. The main aims here are to work out the following things:
- Does the Elecgear Heatsink Keep the Temperature low on the SSD in sustained use?
- Does the Elecgear Heatsink Interfere with the PS5 Internal System Temp negatively?
- Is the Elecgear Heatsink provide a significant improvement over PC designed M.2 SSD heatsinks (eg the Eluteng M.2)
In order to do this, I have installed a temperature sensor on the M.2 SSD itself, UNDER the heatsink AND the thermal pad, directly on the controller chip of the SSD. The SSD used in the testing was the TeamGroup T-Force Cardea A440, a Phison E18, 96L 3D TLC NAND SSD at 1TB – a good mid-range price point SSD that is single-sided and provides 6551MB/s on the PS5 internal benchmark.
When the temp node is on the SSD Controller, I then place the thermal pad down, closed and screw down the heatsink, then attach the 2nd node just underneath the PS5 fan point, in the open air. This second temperature sensor will tell us the surrounding system temp that the internal fan will be using to cool the rest of the system.
The testing consisted of 6 different elements. 4 gameplay sessions of 25mins each, with 2 sessions focusing on the SSD temp and 2 focusing on the system temp (in that order, with 1-2 mins reboot between each, in order to see how the system temp is affected over the combined power-on time).
Then a sustained read and write activity of 350-380MB/s to/from the PS5 internal PS5 SSD and M.2 NVMe SSD (the Cardea A440) and how it impacted the SSD controller only. We are NOT looking at performance/framerate/MB/s etc, ONLY temperatures. Below were the results (video will be published shortly).
Note – BOTH PS5 Side plates were on during the tests
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| Test Type | Starting Temp (C) | Finishing Temp (C) | Change (C) |
| Red Dead Redemption 25min Play (Controller) | 30.8℃ | 31.4℃ | 1.4℃ |
| Red Dead Redemption 25min Play (System Temp) | 23.1℃ | 23.2℃ | 0.1℃ |
| GTA V 25min Play (Controller) | 26.7℃ | 28.1℃ | 1.4℃ |
| GTA V 25min Play (System Temp) | 21.8℃ | 22.9℃ | 1.1℃ |
| Heavy Read (350GB) | 29℃ | 35.6℃ | 5.6℃ |
| Heavy Write (350GB) | 24℃ | 36.1℃ | 12.1℃ |
As you can see, in almost all tests, the elecgear PS5 SSD heatsink results in very, VERY small increases in temperature over time, much, MUCH lower than most of the other heatsinks that I have tested. To put that into perspective, here is how the Elecgear EL-P5C PS5 heatsink compared in those same tests versus the Eluteng M.2 at just $10 (at least $25 less than the elecgear):
NOTE – There tests were performed on different days and ambient temp AND general environmental conditions can undermine these results. Watch the video published soon to see these results in much, MUCH greater detail)
| Test Type | Eluteng H/S Change | ElecGear H/S Change |
| Red Dead Redemption 25min Play (Controller) | 5.9℃ | 1.4℃ |
| Red Dead Redemption 25min Play (System Temp) | 1.5℃ | 0.1℃ |
| GTA V 25min Play (Controller) | 0.5℃ | 1.4℃ |
| GTA V 25min Play (System Temp) | 0.3℃ | 1.1℃ |
| Heavy Read (350GB) | 6.2℃ | 5.6℃ |
| Heavy Write (350GB) | 15.4℃ | 12.1℃ |
So, as you can see, it certainly did a great job. These are still very small differences though and it is worth remembering that an NVMe SSD is designed to run perfectly well at between 30-50 degrees. Anything higher than that (headed towards 70 degrees) can result in throttling. Overall I still think the Elecgear definitely does exactly what it says it will and does it very well – it is a question of whether you play your PS5 for long enough /regular periods that you need that level of protection/cooling. Let’s conclude the review and give my verdict.
NOTE – The FULL video of the Temperature tests for the ElecGear PS5 SSD Heatsink, as well as how it compares against the Eluteng M.2 Heatsink, the Sabrent PS5 heatsink and the INEO Heatsink Heatsink will be live soon and in a 3-Part series of video below.
VIDEOS OF THE TESTS – COMING SOON BELOW (Dec 1st 2021)
Elecgear PS5 SSD Heatsink Review – Conclusion & Verdict
The Elecgear does EVERYTHING that it says it can and will do. From maintaining one of the lowerest SSD temperatures that I have witnessed on the PS5 NVMe SSD for the most part, to the clear effort that has gone into the design of the heatsink to existing both in and outside of the PS5 M.2 SSD expansion slot, you cannot question it’s ability to keep your SSD running at an optimal operational temperature! The price tag seems a little high (at $35-50 depending on where you shop at online) especially given the $10-15 dollar price tag of most other M.2 SSD heatsinks – something that I could accept IF it was the only S5 designed heatsink. But given that Sabrent released their own PS5 heatsink, currently priced at $20 (with SSD combo options) 3 months before, that pricetag is a little harder for some to swallow. Nevertheless, even in the general airflow and temperature of the PS5, the elecgear seems to make sure not to impede or negatively impact the core system temp, which is a big plus in its favour. Overall, I can definitely recommend this heatsink for those of you that play your PS5 every single day and for moderately extensive periods, but for light gamers and those that jump on at weekends – this might be a bit overkill.
| PROS of the ElecGear PS5 SSD Heatsink | PROS of the ElecGear PS5 SSD Heatsink |
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