EVERY PS5 SSD UPGRADE QUESTION ANSWERED!!!

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Choosing the Right SSD for Your PS5 – Your Questions Answered

Upgrading your PS5 with an m.2 SSD to improve your overall available storage is a lot more complex than a lot of people think! In the previous generations of Playstation consoles, the choice was easy (buy a SATA hard drive or SSD – of which there were literally thousands of different types in the market that were suitable) but in the case of the Playstation 5, you need to look at surprisingly specific SSDs, known as M.2 NVMe SSDs. these need to be of a certain architecture, length, speed and variation. Add to that the fact these SSDs can get rather hot and require the use of heatsinks in many cases – something that most non-PC savvy buyers have never even seen or thought about previously. This all leads to those looking at upgrading the storage in their PS5 with a new SSD having a lot of questions that may seen easy to some or fantastically technical to others. So today I wanted to list the 20 more frequently asked questions that people have about upgrading the SSD in their PS5. I have avoided obvious questions and the actual process of installing an SSD (as those are answered in ALOT of detail and with diagrams HERE on an article and HERE in a video on YouTube). These are questions that are a little technical and understandably more NVMe-SSD-novice based. No question is too silly or too obvious, so let’s get started.

Most Frequently Asked Questions on PS5 SSD Upgrades

Below is the first group of the 10 most frequently asked questions about upgrading your PS5 storage with an SSD. There is also a full video covering all 10 questions in more detail, with diagrams and a few on-screen examples. Under each question, I have placed a link that will open up the video at the exact point where I cover that question. That way you can either read or watch the answer, based on your own convenience. Let’s begin.

Do Double Sided SSDs need extra cooling underneath in the PS5?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 01:36

The short answer – No! Double-sided SSDs do not need any additional heat dissipation along their base, just along the top of the SSD when connected. The longer answer is that although a double-sided SSD has chips on both sides, the most important part that needed to be kept at a low/optimal temperature is the controller (the brain of the drive) which is located on the top. The actual data lives on chips called ‘NAND’ and the bigger the SSD, the likelihood that there are more of these and that some are located on the bottom of the SSD. NAND actually works better when it is a little warmed. Additionally, the PS5 is 95% READ activity and 5% WRITE activity typically, something that does not particularly raise the temperature of the NAND (though it DOES on the controller). Therefore you do not need to worry about any extra cooling or heat dissipation on the base of the SSD in the PS5.

Should You use the PS5 SSD expansion slot with or without the cover?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 04:22

Where possible, you should always use the PS5 M.2 SSD slot with the cover on it. Although this seems a little counter-intuitive (as it prevents airflow over the SSD from the big internal PS5 fan, that is why the heat dissipation qualities of an SSD heatsink are necessary. If you run your PS5 with the cover on the m.2 SSD slot REMOVED, then although this will allow airflow to cool the SSD heatsink on your m.2 drive, it may interrupt/compromise the airflow internally on the PS5 towards the much, MUCH more important CPU, GPU and memory inside that keep the system running. These need extra cooling too and that is why the PS5 uses the negative pressure 2 vent system internally to ensure air is circulated in, through and out of the system as fast as possible! There are exceptions, such as the Sabrent PS5 SSD designed Heatsink that I reviewed here, but otherwise, I would always recommend using the cover for the overall better health of your PS5.

Should you remove the stickers and labels on the SSD and will it invalidate my warranty?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 07:28

Definitely, definitely not! There is no need. In older SSDs, removing the branded label to ensure that the SSD heatsink you installed contacted the chips on the drive was much more important. Modern SSDs no longer have this problem and adequate/proficient heat dissipation through this label has long been possible. Additionally, some brands actually prevent you from doing this as it could damage the SSD and can void your warranty (with some having tell-tale stickers that show you removed it). So yeah, no need to remove the SSD label inside

How do you upgrade the firmware on an SSD in my PS5?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 08:53

The sad truth is that you cannot do this easily. It is NOT possible to upgrade the firmware on an SSD from within the PS5 Software/ecosystem. Also, you cannot just put the SSD in a USB enclosure or docking station and update, as the SSD can ONLY be updated with a direct connection to a PC/Laptop motherboard, as the delivery system and direct interface with the SSD controller are too deep in the drive’s architecture. It is recommended that you install the SSD in a PC/Laptop slot and update it that way, but do bear in mind that it will likely format the drive when doing this, so make sure your game data is available to download again or moved over to your internal PS5 system SSD first.

Should you always buy the SSD and Heatsink from the same brand?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 10:32

Almost always yes! SSDs that arrive with a heatsink included generally mean that the heatsink has been applied onto the NVMe SSD at the factory level, which will have industrial-grade dust and environmental control. This will limit any dust during the application process and ensure a cleaner connection. Additionally, unlike a 3rd party generic heatsink that is ‘made for all’, a heatsink that is made and applied by the same brand as the SSD will mean that it can be crafted and applied in a much more precise way to the chips on the SSD PCB that need heat dissipation the most – that means that the thermal padding and shape of the heatsink will be designed around the SPECIFIC shape of the SSD and chips. The only time this is NOT the case is when you have SSDs that include a heatsink that you ‘apply yourself’, such as the Viper Patriot VP4300 or TeamGroup T-Force Cardea A440 – Both VERY, VERY good SSDs which include 2 different heatsinks each, but neither is pre-applied.

Why are PS5 SSDs out of stock or low stock and still very expensive?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 13:20

There are ALOT of things that have affected the SSD market in the last 2-2.5 years that have all resulted in buying an SSD for your PS5, PC, NAS Laptop or whatever is considerably more difficult. Aside from obvious factors, such as the demand for new PCIe 4 SSDs in PS5 since the feature was enabled in Aumtun 2021 AND the impact of working practices and demand during the COVID19 pandemic, there have also been three big other factors that hurt SSD availability and increased pricing. They were/are:

  • A cryptocurrency known as CHIA that, rather than using graphics cards and GPU power (like most other crypto including Bitcoin), relied on storage media and this resulted in large storage HDDs and faster SSDs being bought rapidly worldwide
  • The US-China trade war that formally started in 2019 resulted in the motion of stock and resources used in the production of SSDs being slowed/stopped worldwide
  • Semi-conductor shortages in the east (a hugely important component used in all technology, not just SSDs) that was also harmed by massive droughts in Taiwan (where most of the world’s semiconductors are produced)

SSDs are slowly becoming more available and the pricing less crazy, but they are still not back to their same level compared to where they were in 2018/2019. You can find out a lot more information on this by watching the video below from my YouTube channel:

Do games load from the PS5 SSD expansion slot faster than the internal PS5 SSD?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 17:50

Not ALL games run faster on the M.2 SSD expansion slot of the PS5, but some certainly do. The internal PS5 SSD (based on testing and approximations, not directly from Sony themselves sadly) has a maximum sequential (big data) read of 5,500MB/s or so and a 4K random read IOPS (smallest data in massive quantities) of around 600-750,000. That means that if you install an SSD that is significantly greater than these values (good examples are the Seagate Firecuda 530, WD Black SN850, Samsung 980 Pro and T-Force Cardea A440 Pro Special SSD – which can hit 7,300MB/s Red and 1,000,000 IOPS), then you can run a lot of games faster. The KIND of games makes a lot of difference. Big, sandbox/open-world games will have ALOT of IOPS performance to factor in and therefore big games like GTA, RDR2, No Man Sky and Cyberpunk will likely load faster on a faster m.2 SSD than the internal PS5 SSD. But smaller, level/compact world games will likely seem no different on either.

Does SSD write speed matter on the PS5 expansion bay?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 20:00

At the moment (at the end of 2021) the answer is largely ‘NO’. An SSD installed inside your PS5 will likely be used for READ activity (i.e loading a game) more than 95% of its time in operation and only write activity happening when you are downloading/moving games to the SSD. Likewise, Sony has only allowed the PS5 system to internally store a handful of different storage activities on the system to access the M.2 SSD bay. However, as time goes on and developers are able to make the most of the SSD slot on this system and the massively faster SSDs inside (as well as streamers and video editors that want to store 4K high-quality PS5 gameplay in the hours-at-time), then write speed might well matter more and more. So, in the short term, it doesn’t matter. In the long term, it’s hard to say.

Can I use M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 SSDs in the PS5 and if not, why not?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 21:43

No, you definitely cannot use PCIe Gen 3×4 SSDs (such as those older than Firecuda 510, Samsung 970 Plus, WD Black SN750) in the PS5 M.2 expansion slot. This is largely down to the PS5 internal SSD being faster than the maximum performance possible than even the fastest PCIe Gen 3 SSD. Therefore Sony has restricted SSDs in the PS5 m.2 expansion bay to PCIe Gen 4 only, as these are the only SSDs that can match/exceed the PS5 internal SSD. Thi ensures that all games will run well on the M.2 SSD as, or even better than, the internal PS5 SSD. This is especially important for online/multiplayer games, but also a general good thing for players.

Why did you get the PS2 designed plates for PS5?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 22:52

For those that are interested in the build of the Playstation 5 system that I use in my videos on NASCompares, below is a link to an article where I have broken down a guide on how to create the PS2 plate design of the PS5, as well as where to buy/find/make the components that make up this system.

Click the Image below for the PS2 Designed PS5 Design Guide – Or Click HERE

Here is the Video that answers all of the first 10 Most common questions about upgrading your PS5 SSD:

 

Below is a further 10 more most commonly asked questions about upgrading the storage in your PS5 console with an m.2 SSD. Once again, each question is answered in written form, as well as including a link to the video (at the correct time on the vid) where I go into more detail on this question, with examples, diagrams and/or demonstrations. You can read or watch the answer at your convenience.

Do the Speed of PS5 SSD Upgrades get better if you go for a larger capacity and why?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 00:50

In almost all cases, the larger the capacity (i.e in GB or TB) that an NVMe SSD is, the higher the performance. The reason for this is that the part of the SSD physically that contains your data is modules known as NAND. The larger the capacity, the more NAND will be present on the SSD hardware. So, when the drive is being accessed (especially in writing activity) it means taht the drive is normally writing to several NAND modules at once – thereby multiplying the amount of activity and therefore increasing the total amount being done per second. This is not always true however and can depend on how the SSD manufacturer has arranged the NAND storage evenly. So, a 1TB SSD can physically have 2x 512GB NAND modules onboard or 4x 256GB. It is the same amount of storage on both SSDs, but the one with 4 NAND modules will almost always run higher in key performance areas like throughput and IOPS.

Does Changing the heatsink on the PS5 SSD I have installed damage the SSD or result in anything else bad?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 04:02

In most cases, changing the SSD heatsink will not cause any damage, as heatsinks will either be attached with a light adhesive to the heatsink OR are not attached at all and are just pressed strongly against a thermal heating pad, which is attached to the heatsink. The only time that changed a heatsink can potentially the heatsink can be harmful is when an SSD includes the use of silicon/silica paste (as found in the Add Link A95, 192 and A90 for example) as these SSDs are INCREDIBLY well attached and removing the heatsink can leave a tonne of residue or even crack the SSD physical PCB board if done poorly. Likely some SSDs arrive in highly sealed surrounding heatsink cases (sh as the WD Black SN850+Heatsink) and removing those will break the heatsink for the most part entirely.

Do PS4 Games run better on the SSD I install in my PS5 expansion bay?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 07:29

Most of the PS4 generation games that are played on the PS5, but stored on the m.2 SSD expansion bay WILL run better than if they were stored on the internal SSD bay. However the difference will be very small, as these kinds of games have not been designed with NVMe SSD storage in mind, so have a set loading pattern and protocol that can only operate ‘so fast’ as it goes through its routine. Bigger games that are open world or sandbox will load faster, but fairly linear loading games will see little or no different than they would have loaded from an external HDD/SSD or a PS4 Pro with a 2.5″ SSD inside.

What is the Slowest M.2 NVMe SSD that you can use on the PS5?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 09:14

If you have been looking at particularly low cost (and therefore inevitably slower) NVMe SSDs to upgrade your PS5 and M.2 SSD Storage expansion bay, jsut to store media and PS4 games that won’t see the full benefit of top tier SSDs, then you might be wondering what is the lowest and slowest drive you can upgrade with. Currently, it is largely agreed that the Adata XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite is the lowest tier drive you can use. It has a reported performance of 3,900MB/s Sequential (big data) Read and 3,200MB/s Sequential Write. Also, with a 4K Random IOPS (so smaller, high quantity accessed data) of 490,000 Read – these performance benchmarks are from ADATA themselves and are almost half the performance of the likes of the WD Black SN850, Seagate Firecuda 530 and XPG GAMMIX S70. If you only want a drive for storage size vs price and are not too fussed about performance, this is the lowest you can go in 2021/2022

What is the Write Speed of the Internal PS5 SSD?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 12:05

The honest answer is that no one really knows the internal PS5 SSD sequential Write speed. The Read speed seems to be at around 5,000-5,500MB/s, but as the system is quite closed in it’s processes (for reasons of simplicity and stability with causal users), there is almost no way to accurately measure the write speed. Even when transferring games from an m.2 SSD or USB drive to the internal PS5 SSD is no use, as there is an element of encryption, compression and/or checking happening internally when moving data that results in the speed of transferring data completely inaccurate when compared to conventional write activity on a PC. Most estimates online have erred towards between 1,800-2,800MB/s sequential write speed. But even then, this is by no means precise or reliable.

Can You fill an M.2 NVMe SSD in your PS5, then Remove the SSD from your PS5 and install it in another PS5 to play the games?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 15:16

Unfortunately, no. Due to the PS5 encrypting/locking the games as they are downloaded to/moved in the system to that SPECIFIC PS5, the result is that if you powered down the PS5, took the M.2 SSD out, installed it in ANOTHER PS5 that even has the same PSN account registered, the rebooted – you would still be greeted a the start-up screen with a message saying that this SSD needs to be formatted for use. Doing so will result in the drive being completely deleted from existing data in order to format it and link it with the new PS5. It is even near impossible to clone an NVMe SSD onto another one (even using an external forensic level m.2 docking station) in case you wanted to ensure you kept a copy of games that get removed from the PSN storage later (see Kojima’s P.T demo for example) as the data on the SSD and formatting process are linked to THAT SSD and its serial number.

Which PS5 SSDs Deals Should You Look for on Black Friday?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 16:51

Since Sony enabled the M.2 SSD storage bay of the PS5, there have been dozens of new SSDs released on the market that are supported by the system. Now that a lot more PS5 compatible SSDs are available, this has resulted in a lot more affordable and competitively priced options appearing on the market. At the bottom of this article, you will find the FULL LIST of PS5 Compatible SSDs (with their performance and where to buy them). However, right now, in terms of Price, Performance and Value. The best options for most people are the Seagate Firecuda 530, the WD Black SN850 and the Samsung 980 Pro. They are by no means the only SSDs out there and you may well see some great deals on lesser-known SSDs, such as the Addlink A95, the XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade, the Viper Patriot VP4300 and the always popular Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus series. Alternatively, you can visit the PS5 SSD Black Friday Deals Page here.

Seagate Firecuda 530

Samsung 980 Pro

WD Black SN850

500GB – $149.99

1TB – $239.99

2TB – $489.99

4TB – $949.99.

250GB – $69.99

500GB – $119.99

1TB – $199.99

2TB – $429.99

500GB – $169.99

1TB – $249.99

2TB – $549.99

 

Should You Buy a PS5 SSD that features an Innogrit Rainer IG5236 or Phison E18 Controller?

Find the answer in the Video above at – 19:06

Although there are ALOT of M.2 SSDs that can be used on the PS5 (see MASSIVE compatibility list below), in terms of their onboard hardware and specifications they can be broken down into three different types:

  • Ones that use in-house development teams – Such as Samsung, Crucial and WD
  • Ones that use the Phison Controller Series (E16 and E18) – Such as Seagate, Gigabyte, MSI and Sabrent
  • Ones that use the Innogrit Rainer (IG5236) Controller – Such as Adata XPG and the Patriot Viper VP4300

Now the first category (in-house development) is always going to provide the best value and availability, as the brand controls every part of the development and sourcing of components. However, they release much fewer completed products/refreshes of a component than 3rd parties like Phison and Innogrit that create numerous components that are then utilized by hundreds of SSD brands – because they are dependant on the market constantly demanding their product. That is why there are ALOT of Phison E16 and E18 SSDs in the market right now, as they were one of the first to not only come up with a PCIe 4 controller, but also to develop multiple controller variations within it. Because they have such a large % of the market in SSD controller usage, they can be spread a little thin, resulting in a little less availability and potentially a higher price for SSDs with their newest gen controllers. The Innogrit controller on the other hand is a great newer and their PCIe 4 SSD Controller (the Innogrit Rainer IG5236) does not command the same level of notoriety on SSDs and instead provides a near-identical  (and in some cases higher) performance and durability, whilst still being more affordable than the Phison E18 SSDs. Add to this that practically ALL Innogrit IG5236 Controller SSDs (for example the XPG Gammix S70, S70 Blade and Viper Patriot VP4300) ALL include a premium grade heatsink (or an additional heatshield in some cases) whilst STILL being lower in price than a Phison E18 of the same level/capacity. That said, the PS5 tends to give a slightly higher benchmark on a Phison E18 controller. Ultimately, for overall PS5 performance, go for a Phison E18 Controller SSD. For the best value, whilst still having high performance and a heatsink, go for the Innogrit SSD controller drives.

Here is the video that answers all of the next 10 most common questions about upgrading your PS5 SSD:

 


 

All PS5 Compatible SSDs in 2021/2022 – UPDATED

Although Sony enabled the Playstation 5 SSD expansion slot in Summer 2021, they have yet to issue a FULL compatibility list of ALL drives that can be used. I have been testing a huge number of M.2 NVMe SSDs with PS5 in the last 3 months in order to create a master list of all the drives that work (here on the blog, as well as over on YouTube in my PS5 SSD Test Series HERE). Below is a breakdown of all the currently available and supported SSDs that are compatible with PS5 (with help on Reddit, Twitter and others).

BLUE = COMPATIBLE

GREY = UNCONFIRMED

BRAND MODEL ID SIZES CONTROLLER NAND R/W SPEED CHECK AMAZON
Acer Predator GM7000 512, 1TB, 2TB Innogrit 1G5236 Micron3D TLC 7,400 / 6,700 MB/s
ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade 1TB, 2TB Innogrit IG5236 3D Nand 7.4K / 6.4K MB/s
ADATA XPG Gammix S70 1TB, 2TB Innogrit Rainer IG5236 Micron 3D TLC 7.4K / 6.4K MB/s
ADATA XPG Gammix S50 Lite 1TB, 2TB Silicon MotionSM22 67 Micron 3D TLC 3.9K / 3.2K MB/s
ADATA XPG Gammix S50 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Addlink A95 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5018-E18 Micron3D TLC 7.1K /6.8K MB/s
Addlink A92 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5016-E16 Micron QLC 4.9K / 3.6K MB/s
Addlink A90 1TB, 2TB N/A 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Addlink H90 with heatsink 1TB, 2TB N/A  3D TLC 5.0K / 4,4K MB/s
Addlink S90 no heatsink 1TB, 2TB N/A 3D TLC 5.0K / 4,4K MB/s
Apacer AS2280Q4 500, 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Asgard AN4 512, 1TB, 2TB Innogrit IG5236 YNTC 3D TLC 7.5K / 5.5K MB/s
Corsair MP600 Pro XT Hydro X 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5018-E18 Micron3D TLC 7.1K / 6.8K MB/s
Corsair MP600 Pro XT 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5018-E18 Micron3D TLC 7.1K / 6.8K MB/s
Corsair MP600 Pro Hydro X 2TB Phison PS5018-E18-41 3D TLC 7.0K / 6.55K MB/s
Corsair MP600 Pro Standard 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5018-E18-41 Micron3D TLC 7.0K / 6.55K MB/s
Corsair MP600 Core 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5016-E16 3D QLC 4.95K / 3.95K MB/s
Corsair MP600 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 4.95K / 4.25K MB/s
Crucial P5 Plus 500, 1TB, 2TB Crucial NVMe Micron TLC 6.6K / 5.0K MB/s
Galax HOF Pro 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Gigabyte Aorus 7000S 1TB, 2TB Phison E18 Micron TLC 7.0K / 6.85K MB/s
Gigabyte Aorus 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.0K MB/S
Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 500, 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0 / 4.5K MB/s
Inland Performance Plus 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5018-E18 Micron3D TLC 7.0 / 6.85 GB/s
Integral Ultima Pro X3 500, 1TB, 2TB N/A  3D TLC 5.0 / 4,4K MB/s
Intel DC P5800X 400, 800, 1.6TB Intel InteL Optane 2nd Gen 7.4 GB/s / 7.4
Kingmax PX4480 500, 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 3D Nand 5.0 / 4.4K MB/s
Klevv CRAS C920 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5018-E18 3D TLC 7.0K / 7.0K MB/s
Lexar NM800 500, 1,000 GB InnoGrit IG5236 3D TLC 5.8K / 7.4K MB/s
Micron 3400 512, 1TB, 2TB Micron Based Micron 3D TLC N/A 
Micron 2450 256, 512, 1TB N/A Micron 3D TLC N/A 
MSI Spatium M480 500, 1TB, 2TB PhisonPS5018-E18 Micron 3D TLC 7.0K /6.85K MB/s
MSI Spatium M470 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Kioxia 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Mushkin Gamma 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5018 E18 Micron 3D TLC 7.1 / 6.8 MB/s
Mushkin Delta 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5016-E16 Micron 3D TLC 4.9 / 3.9 MB/s
Patriot Viper VP4300 1TB, 2TB Innogrit Rainier IG5236 Micron 3D TLC 7.4K / 6.8K MB/s
Patriot Viper VP4100 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Plextor M10P Series 512, 1TB, 2TB Innogrit Rainier IG5236 Kioxia TLC 7.0K / 5.0K MB/s
PNY XLR8 CS3140 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E18-41 Micron 3D TLC 7.5K / 6.85K MB/s
PNY XLR8 CS3040 500GB, 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16-32 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.6K / 4.3K MB/s
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 500, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5018-E18 Micron 3D TLC 7.2K / 6.9K MB/s
Sabrent Rocket Q4 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5016-E16 Micron 96L QLC 4.9K / 6.85K MB/s
Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Samsung PA9A1 (OEM) 250, 500, 1TB, 2TB Samsung Elpis Samsung 3D TLC 7.0K / 5.2K MB/s
Samsung 980 Pro 250, 500, 1TB, 2TB Samsung Elpis Samsung 3D TLC 7.0K / 5.0K MB/s
Seagate FireCuda 530 500, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5018-E18 Micron 3D TLC 7.0K / 6.9K MB/s
Seagate FireCuda 520
1TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Seagate FireCuda 520 500, 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Silicon Power US70 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 3D Nand 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Smartbuy Stream E19T 500, 1TB Phison PS5016-E19-35 Toshiba 3D TLC 3.3K / 3.0K MB/s
Smartbuy Impact E16 500, 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Team Force Cardea Z44Q 2TB, 4TB Phison PS5012-E161 Micron 3D QLC 5.0K /4.0K MB/s
Team Force T Create Classic 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Kioxia 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Team Force Cardea Ceramic A440 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5086-E18 Micron TLC 7.0K / 6.9K MB/s
Team Force Cardea Ceramic C440 1TB, 2TB Phison PS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Team Force Cardea Zero Z440 256, 512, 1TB PhisonPS5016-E16 Toshiba 3D TLC 5.0K / 4.4K MB/s
Transcend MTE240S 512, 1TB N/A 3D TLC 3.8K / 3.2K MB/s
Western Digital Black SN850 500, 1TB, 2TB SanDisk 8-Channel 96L Bics4 7.0K / 5.1K MB/s

 


 

What is the Best PS5 SSD Heatsink – The Do’s and Don’ts

Most M.2 NVMe SSD that you might look at for your PS5 will NOT arrive with a heatsink. Some brands do include optional heatsinks for $20-40, but there will likely be PC-Grade gamer heatsinks and much, much too tall for the allocated PS5 Expansion storage slot for upgrades. Sony provided a handy upgrade guide for how big the NVMe SSD needs to be, alongside details of the type that is recommended.

Now, there are ALOT of M.2 NVMe SSD Heatsinks on the market – THOUSANDS! So it is important to know which ones are compatible and which ones you should completely avoid. Heatsink AND SSD together should NOT exceed in millimeters 110mm (L) x 25mm (W) x 11.25mm (H) and in inches 4.33in (L) x 0.984 in (W) x 0.442in (H). Another big thing to remember is that some SSD heatsinks use rubber bands to hold the M.2 NVMe SSD and the HEATSINK together. I would strongly recommend avoiding these kinds of heatsinks as they have a tendency not to last vast amounts of time and the silicon rubber bands (if produced poorly) can wear away. I strongly recommend a met surrounding heatsink case/enclosure like the one below, as it has 2 layers of internal thermal padding, the metal surrounding the whole SSD (assisting heat dissipation) and is screwed in place. Last point. The majority of NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4×4 SSDs right now are going to be 2280 (that is the length of the SSD), as this tier of SSD have only JUST been released in the last 6-9 months. However, they WILL get longer (to accommodate more storage cells and bigger capacity) so the fact the PS5 supports up to 22110 lengths SSDs is quite handy. If you are reading this guide much later in 2021/2022, then DO CHECK that the SSD  you are installing in your PS5 is 2280 or 22110, as the heatsink will also need to be this length too (as the screw holds an SSD Board mount need to match). This is much, MUCH less of a concern in 2021 however, so you can ignore this right now. So,  there you have it, those are the do’s and don’ts for buying a heatsink for your PS5 SSD upgrade. Below are 5 great examples of M.2 NVMe SSD Heatsinks that will fit in your PS5 Expansion slot. They vary in price, design, height, colour and density. Take a look:

 

 

UPDATED – The Recommended Ones Below Keep Selling out, so I have added more!

Sabrent PS5 SSD Designed Heatsink – $19.99

  • DESIGNED FOR PS5: Engineered to fit perfectly and easily into the PS5 SSD expansion slot. The installation has never been easier on the PS5
  • REVOLUTIONARY COOLING: Made from High-Quality CNC’d aluminium, the Sabrent PS5 Heatsink was specifically designed to maximize cooling performance and simplify the installation
  • UPGRADE YOUR PS5! Rather than creating a heatsink that would only trap the heat in the metal cover, we designed a heatsink that replaces the native PS5 cover. This allows for better cooling using the native fan as well as being a larger heatsink
  • INDUSTRIAL QUALITY: This SSD heatsink method also uses Sabrent’s “Sandwich Design” which ensures even pressure throughout the SSD for efficient and consistent heat transfer unlike methods used by other brands
  • CONVENIENCE: Comes with an installation guide as well as screws and thermal tape for easy convenient installation

ElecGear PS5 SSD Designed Heatsink – $34.99

  • [PS5 NVMe Heatsink] – The patent-pending cooler is exclusively designed for PlayStation 5 internal NVMe SSD. It features a heat pipe and a huge solid aluminum heatsink. The high performance comes from the numerous cooling fins and the delicate utilization of air circulation sucked by PS5 main cooling fan. The streamlined profile is a snag fit with the middle frame of PS5 chassis. The heatsink is the ultimate cooling solution to the heat management of extreme Gen4 gaming SSD
  • [Heat Pipe and Thermal Pads] – A 5mm heatpipe seamlessly embedded in the lower aluminum deck. The passive design with no cooling fan is aiming for being totally silent. The heat produced by SSD will be absorbed by the heat pipe and effectively conducted to the extensive aluminum fins. Two pieces pre-divided thermal pads are included for excellent heat connection. 0.8mm and 1.5mm thickness option adapts to any PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
  • [Improved Mounting Post] – 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
  • [Compatibility Note] – The cooler fits both PS5 Ultra HD and Digital editions. In terms of hardware, it’s compatible with any standard NVMe M.2 solid state drive. Fully tested with WD Black SN850, Samsung 980 Pro and Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0. It supports 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 form factor and also works with 22110 in the future. Please be noticed: The SSD maker’s thin heatsink should be removed before installing, for example, Corsair-Force MP600 and ADATA XPG

 

PNY XLR8 Gaming PS5 SSD Designed Heatsink – $24.99

PNY XLR8 PS5 SSD Heatsink is designed for PS5, integrating the original PS5 SSD cover, PNY offers a brilliant design, combined the cover with heatsink which provides extreme cooling performance, taking your extra upgraded PS5 NVMe SSD to the extreme. Not only can you destroy the competition, and play more games, but your system can look good while doing so.

  • Part No : M22110PSVHS-XR-RB
  • Design to integrate PS5 SSD cover & heatsink
  • Greatly improves cooling efficiency
  • Included spare screws x1 + Thermal pads
  • Compare to no heatsink, cools downs the SSD over 40%*
  • Recommended SSD: XLR8 CS3140 Gen 4×4

INEO / GRAUGEAR PS5 SSD Designed Heatsink G-PS5HS01 – $34.99

The new GRAUGEAR/INEO heat pipe cooler G-PS5HS01 reduces the temperature of your M.2 NVMe SSDs in the PlayStation®5 by up to 50% and thus contributes to a longer lifetime of your SSDs. The performance of your M.2 NVMe SSDs is also positively influenced by the GRAUGEAR/INEO heat pipe cooler G-PS5HS01. The Ø7mm copper heat pipe and the copper fins and aluminium heat sink ensure maximum performance.

  • Heat Pipe from Copper maximum performance
  • The reduced temperature of M.2 NVMe SSD up to 50%
  • Designed for PlayStation®5
  • Compatible with Single/Double-sided M.2 2280 SSDs
  • 1 x G-PS5HS01, 4 x Thermal Pads
  • 1 x Screwdriver1 x SSD mounting screw
  • 1x Screws, 1 x Manual, 1 x Warranty card

 

QIVYNSRY M.2 heatsink 2280 SSD Double-Sided Heat Sink

  • Designed for desktop computers, but works with PS5
  • Aluminum body, Anodic Oxidation Surface Treatment;
  • with 10°C – 30°C cooling effect;
  • Compatible with Singel/Double sided M.2 NVME NGFF SSD;
  • Easy to install, and not damage the hard disk.

Includes:

  • 1* EZ NVMe Heatsink-Silver
  • 2* Thermal pads
  • 5* Screws.
  • 1* Installation guide.

 

 

SUPER BUDGET OPTION – Akuoly M.2 SSD Heatsink 4 Pack Aluminum Heatsink Cooler Cooling

 

  • To Save Your Device from Fail Prematurely–Reduce the risk of hardware failure due to overheating. The gap of these Akuoly heatsinks between the larger fins increases the area of the board and thus provides for greater heat transfer
  • Made of High Quality Aluminum–Made of high quality aluminum, great thermal conductivity. An aluminum heatsink is a passive heat exchanger that efficiently transfers heat through electronic signal or mechanical signal with device, thus keeping a regulation of the temperature of the device at an optimal level
  • Suitable for Various Devices–Suitable for heating elements on Wi-Fi routers, M.2 SSD, AC adapters, chargers, high power amplifier transistor semiconductor devices and so on
  • Cheerful 4 Pack Heatsink & Thermal Pads– 4 pieces x aluminum heatsink Cooling Fin (each 70mm x 22mm x 6mm), large surface area and great fins; with 4 pieces of double-sided thermal tape whose thermal conductivity: about 1.3 W / (m·K).
  • Material: Aluminum
  • Size: 70mm (L) x 22mm (W) x 6mm (H)
  • Package: 4 Pack x Aluminum Heatsink Cooling Fins
  • 4 Pieces Double-sides Thermal Tape whose thermal conductivity: about 1.3 W / (m·K).

 

SGTKJSJS M.2 Heatsink SSD Cooler for PCIE NVME

Excellent little kit. Comes with: A screwdriver, a cleaning and drying towelette(not needed if the m.2 is new and/or not dusty) and it has two dark blue(.5mm) for the bottom(U bracket) and two light blue(1mm) for the top(heatsink) for 2 m.2 drives. There is a protective film on BOTH sides of each of the thermal tape piece. Remove BOTH pieces of film of EACH of the thermal tape pieces and apply them. Once the thermal tape is on both sides(1 blue-bottom, 1 light blue-heatsink) place the bottom of your m.2 drive into the U bracket/bottom of the thermal unit. Next make sure that the top piece(heatsink) has the open spot for the screw for your motherboard facing the back to leave space to attach. Next, line up the holes and gently drop the top heatsink into the U bracket/bottom.

Package list

– M.2 SSD heatSink  X2

– Silicone thermal pad   X4

– Fixing screw  X8

– screwdriver  X1

 

EZDIY-FAB M.2 2280 SSD heatsink

Double-Sided Heat Sink, High-Performance SSD Cooler for PCIE NVME M.2 SSD or SATA M.2 SSD- Red or Black – $15

  • Designed for desktop computers, but works inside PS5
  • Aluminum material for best heat dissipation and maximum performance.
  • Compatible with Singel/Double sided M.2 2280 SSDs.
  • Easy to install.
  • Beautiful metal surface treatment, installed in the chassis to form a beautiful landscape.

Includes:

  • 1* EZ NVMe Heatsink-Silver
  • 2* Thermal pads
  • 5* Screws.
  • 1* Installation guide.

 

 


MHQJRH M.2 2280 SSD heatsink – SINGLE SIDE SSD USE ONLY – VERY TIGHT FIT!!

Double-Sided Heat Sink, Matching Thermal Silicone pad for PCIE NVME M.2 SSD or SATA M.2 SSD – $9.99

  • Designed for Compact M.2 NVMe SSD Installation
  • Aluminum body, Anodic Oxidation Surface Treatment.
  • Aluminum alloy-Groove design, greatly increase the heat dissipation area, with 10°C – 30°C cooling effect.
  • Compatible with Singel/Double-sided M.2 2280 SSDs.
  • Easy to install, and not damage the SSD
  • Advancing Gene thermal pad is made from Nano Silicon Grease Material, with good thermal conductivity ability. Soft enough and good ductility, compatible with uneven surfaces of the M.2 SSD. Low viscosity, with no damage to the SSD label.

Includes:

  • M.2 SSD heatSink X1
  • Silicone thermal pad X3
  • Fixing screw X6
  • Screwdriver X1

 

 


 

Ice Cold Ineo M.2 heatsink 2280 SSD

Thermal Silicone pad for M.2 PCIE NVMe SSD – $10.99

  • The NVMe heatsink are able to support the NVMe SSD type 70x20mm
  • Please place the silicone cooling pad between the heatsink and the SSD to prevent damage to the SSD and protect the particles of the SSD, which can effectively extend the life of your SSD.
  • Package including: 1 NVMe Aluminum heatsink, 2 silicone thermal pad, 1 user manual, 1 screw driver , 1 guarantee card, 1 screw
  • Each product has strict tested before We sent it to you and offer 1 Year Limited Warranty, Life-time free technical support by ineo.

Includes:

  • 1 NVMe Aluminum heatsink
  • 2 silicone thermal pad
  • 1 user manual
  • 1 screw driver
  • 1 1 screw

 


 

WARSHIP Pro M.2 2280 SSD Heatsink

PCIE NVME or SATA m2 2280 SSD Double-Sided Heat Sink – Black – $8.99

  • Suports PCIE NVME M.2 2280 size SSD or SATA M2 2280 size SSD
  • Aluminium alloy, silver plating , anodic oxidation surface treatment
  • Easy to install, NO damage to the SSD.
  • Aluminum alloy-Groove design with 10°C – 30°C cooling effect

Includes:

  • HeatSink X2
  • Big Silicone thermal pad X 2
  • Small Silicone thermal pad X 10
  • Screws X 6
  • Screwdriver X1

 

 


 

Best Budget Choice – Nankui SSD Heatsink Surround – SINGLE SIDE SSD USE ONLY – VERY TIGHT FIT!!

NVMe Heatsink for m.2 2280 SSD,Double-Sided Cooling – $5.99

  • Originally designed for desktop computers, This M.2 SSD heatsink compatible with all single sided Type.
  • Simple Lock design, easy to install
  • Double Aluminum alloy-Groove design, greatly increase the heat dissipation area, with 7°C – 30°C cooling effect (Varies depending on the environments), Ensure the high-speed and long-lasting performance of SSD, continuous high-speed reading and writing and long-term game performance are still strong
  • Main body material: Aluminum alloy, anodic oxidation surface treatment. Dimensions: 76.5*24.*12mm , Nano Silicon Grease Material Dimensions:70*20*T.4 ,Thermal conductivity:3W/m-k

Includes:

  • M.2 SSD heatSink X1
  • Silicone thermal pad X3
  • No Screws – Clicks Shut

 

 

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      339 thoughts on “EVERY PS5 SSD UPGRADE QUESTION ANSWERED!!!

      1. I totally purchased a Sabrent heatsink because of this man! They should pay him tbh. I literally took my heat sink off my fircuda to make it fit. And I’m super happy ????
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      2. I would be curious to know if the tests would come out more similar leaving the cover off the ellerton vs the sabrent being its own cover? Either way I thank you for your hard work at answering the question. I guess I’ll get the Sabrent for my 990 pro thank you very much ❤
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      3. Bro, you are mad scientist. I raise my hat for you Sir. Thank you! I just bought 2TB Samsung pro for my PS5 and going to pair it with Sabrent. Cheers.
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      4. I know this is old but I’ve seen a lot of people especially on Amazon reviews telling people they need two pieces of tape now one below and one above the SSD especially at the 2-4TB sizes. Is this true? I purchased the Sabrent heat sink and WD 2TB 850x but now don’t want to install it if I need more thermal tape.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      5. I’ve got a double-sided SSD and I saw on your review that it is compatible. How should I install it on my ps5? I mean the order in which i apply it:

        Thermal Pad > double-sided 2TB SSD > thermal pad > Sabrent Heatsink?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      6. I saw your guide and bought a 2TB NVME and used this vid and everything went perfect first try. Powered on, formatted, and off to the races! Thanks man. Removing the plastic plate was the hardest part for some reason.
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      7. I have a Gammix S70 Blade with the heatsink / heat dissipator installed, can I also buy this to help it maintain a better temperature or should I not do this?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      8. What if I removed the sticker on my sn850 nvme 1 tb ? Can I use thermal padding with a heatsink instead? Because I can’t find where to buy another sticker ????
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      9. Great Video! I recently upgrade my storage with a 2TB XPG S70 and paired it with a MHQJRH heatsink. I wish I watched this video first! Awesome information. Thanks.
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      10. Can i just remove for example the top cover of a 3rd party heatsink and leave the bottom part and install this as the top and cover?

        I already have an ssd wd 850 but with 3rd party heatsink not the built in heatsink of wd.
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      11. I just got the Sabrent heatsink, but instead of using the stock thermal pad, I used the Gelid Ultimate thermal pad. Donyou think it will improve the temperature/s?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      12. I just installed the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 1tb SSD on my PS5 today, super easy install. Was able to move 450+ GB of games from my PS5 internal SSD to this new expansion in under 4 minutes,, Crazy fast .
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      13. Thanks for this. Just ordered one to go with my WD SN850. It may only be a few degrees difference, but I’m happy spending more if it potentially helps the longevity of the components. I spent £450 on the PS5 and £130 on the M.2, a few quid more to help things is a no brainer to me.
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      14. I realize that his comment is late and hope I can get a response. Had the ps5 for 7 days now and can’t play for over 20 mins. Will this be a cure or is it something else? I have been trying for so long to get a ps5 and really don’t want to send it back. Thanks in advance.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      15. I have never seen a video that covers everything possible in such detail, regardless of the subject matter.
        I am a big question guy, and I can honestly say that this is the first time I have been left questionless.

        My phone subscribed involuntarily, before i could hit the sub button.

        Well done, Sir.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      16. Hi Nas! I’m a bit ignorant when it comes to SSDs and heatsinks so I’m curious if it’s safe or smart to use this heatsink with the one included with the XPG blade SSD. I purchased this heatsink from your link below but I’m hoping you’ll be able to inform me before I attach the thin metal heatsink included with the XPG blade since I think this heatsink will yield better results.

        Thanks!
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      17. Can you please give me an informed recommendation between the Fire Cuda 530 pre-installed heatsink vs a Fire Cuda 530 with this Sabrent cover/heatsink?? I plan on getting the Fire Cuda 2TB now, thanks to all of your reviews you have posted.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      18. What is the thickness of the thermal pad supplied with this heatsink, Im thinking of replacing it with Thermal Grizzly pads but dont know if it’s .5mm, 1.0mm or 1.5mm
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      19. Its stupid I could remove the cover for the nvme slot but cant get the screw out ????????‍♂️????????‍♂️????????‍♂️????????‍♂️????????‍♂️ whats wrong ????????‍♂️
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      20. could you make a video of attaching sabrent heatsink to xpg s70 blade ? because s70 blade heatspreader is very thin and i wanted to know if can use it with sabrent heatsink .
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      21. Agree with all points except that factory made ssd with heat sink is better, these are made in China, with or without heat sink, in the same factory by probably the same group of workers. Save yourself some $50-70 and buy a $10-$15 heat sink and apply yourself, same result.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      22. ultimately as long as the ssd is in spec, it isnt going to do anytihng more.
        that said, i’d still go with it, purely as you’d be less likely to ever go out of spec. i’m using sabrents rocket heatpipe ssd heatsink on a wd sn850. works fine.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      23. Can you use a regular heat sink on the M2 drive, like the eluteng, and the Sabrent heat sink at the same time? if you can will that cool it down even more?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      24. You sir are brilliant and crucial to the community. Thank you so much for your time and hard work. Every question I had was answered in this video. Not a single other YouTuber is covering the Sabrent yet it appears it’s a great option.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      25. Can i take a Intel Data SSD (not boot SSD) and put it in my AMD PC? My Intel PC died like last year and i want to get some of my saves from my Game SSD in my INTEL and move them to my AMD game SSD.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      26. Hey man great vid. Thanks for the video. Im planning to invest on SSD PCIe 4.0. So when later i need it for my laptop, i can just toss the heatsink from the ssd and plug it to my laptop (as long as the laptop support PCIe 4.0) right?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      27. Thank you very much for providing us with comparison between all brands of m.2 nvme ssd, you’ve been an absolute great help in making my decision in purchasing M.2 nvme ssd for my PS5,
        I managed to grab a Firecuda 530 n Samsung 980pro during the time between the PS5 latest storage expansion update, both SSD’s are 2tb of storage. In my opinion the FireCuda is definitely to better purchase as it’s readspeed is as advertised out of the box, when prepped and installed into the PlayStation 5. As for the Samsung 980pro it has a minor issue where you need to firmware update to achieve the proper readspeed as advertised out the box.
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      28. I don’t know if you’ve already answered this question, but can you use a SSD like the WD Black with heatsink with the Sabrent heatsink cover
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      29. Very useful stuff here figured all used the thermal pads and gels didn’t know about the silicon adhesive, good thing to know that alot might not consider before trying to pry them off for a new one , well done spreading the right information to help people will give that respect ????
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      30. hello, thank you for this detailed video. i have the following question: is it possible to create a back up of the data on the m.2 slot or can you only create a back up of the data stored on the internal drive?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      31. As an owner of the ADATA XPG Gammix S50 Lite, I’ve ran into some issues using it with my PS5 with long sessions which has resulted in my console’s fan speed increasing to a worrying level. I’ve seen some other cases of this happening as well, including a livestream where a streamer was playing through several PS5 games, followed by the system freezing, and forcing itself into a reboot. Upon reboot, the warning screen for the M2 SSD being removed was shown, and when checking storage, the M2 SSD wasn’t recognised until the console was restarted properly and safely. Right now, it’s just a short term solution for storing my PS4 games until I can get another more reliable SSD. So I would be interested to see you test it out on your channel.

        EDIT: Just on the note of the strength of the thermal pads on this SSD, I was trying to remove the pathetic heatsink from the card and I ended up ripping the two front NAND chips off in the process, like they were using some a very strong adhesive thermal pad. The idea was to install the Sabrent heatsink as a replacement. Oh well!
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      32. Firecuda 530 claims 7300 mb/sec but after installing on ps5, in test its speed comes out to be only around 6500 mb/sec ? Why ? Why can’t it be around 7300 mb/sec ?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      33. Hi there,always a good watch your vids.One question,having added an ssd to the ps5 i also run a samsung T7 1tb ssd as an external drive for my ps4 games.Would there be any difference in speed or performance if i ran an NVME,like the wd sn850,in a caddy and used it to run my ps4 games instead of the samsung T7?
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      34. What do you think about the new dbrand dark plates with the fan vents. Do you think it will be good or bad, will it affect the negative air pressure of the ps5?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      35. Any chance you’ll publish a master chart of PS5 SSD performance with all the drives you’ve tested? I’d like to see a comparison using the real world tests (game loading, game copying, etc.).
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      36. Chapters & PS5 SSD Questions:
        00:50 – Do the Speed of PS5 SSD Upgrades get better if you go for a larger capacity and why?
        04:02 – Does changing the heatsink on the PS5 SSD I have installed damage the SSD or result in anything else bad?
        07:29- Do PS4 Games run better on the SSD I install in my PS5 expansion bay?
        09:14 – What is the Slowest M.2 NVMe SSD that you can use on the PS5?
        12:05 – What is the Write Speed of the Internal PS5 SSD?
        15:16 – Can You fill an M.2 NVMe SSD in your PS5, then Remove the SSD from your PS5 and install in another PS5 to play the games?
        16:51 – Which PS5 SSDs Should You Look for on Black Friday?
        19:06 – Should You Buy a PS5 SSD that features an Innogrit Rainer IG5236 or Phison E18 Controller?
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      37. Today’s PS5 Frequently Asked Questions and SSDs and Storage:
        01:36 – Do Double Sided SSDs need extra cooling underneath in the PS5?
        04:22 – Should You use the PS5 SSD expansion slot with or without the cover?
        07:28 – Should you remove the stickers and labels on the SSD and will it invalidate my warranty?
        08:53 – How do you upgrade the firmware on an SSD in my PS5?
        10:32 – Should you always buy the SSD and Heatsink from the same brand?
        13:20 – Why are PS5 SSDs out of stock or low stock and still very expensive?
        17:50 – Do games loaded from the PS5 SSD expansion slot faster than the internal PS5 SSD?
        20:00 – Does SSD write speed matter on the PS5 expansion bay?
        21:43 – Can I use M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 SSDs in the PS5 and if not, why not?
        22:52 – Why did you get the PS2 designed plates for PS5?
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      38. Just curious but what if you did this same exact test but drill holes in the Ps5 m.2 cover and the sabrent heat sink, will it change the cooling? Maybe start with two drilled holes and then maybe more?
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      39. I still have doubts about the airflow INSIDE de SSD bay. As I understand, some air should pass through it, and with this solid metal block inside it may be less efficient. For me, the ideal heatsink would have horizontal pass-through lines where air could flow inside the bay, plus the rugged cap that would act as a secondary heatsink with the outside, directly
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      40. I’m taking my firecuda out of its curent heatsink tomorrow and installing the sabrent heatsink. How do I safely remove the firecuda,and will I loose the games on it when I reinstall it? Please help,I’m a newbie. Thanks.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      41. Just wondering could I use more than 1 ssd ie install half my games on one and half on the other ans switch between them or would I have to format each time i changed between?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      42. When will you be comparing this Heatsink with the WD Black? I have bought both, waiting for your results to see which to use. The Sabrent panel looks awesome and more useful. But the WD Black Heatsink you said is brilliant ????‍♂️
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      43. Thank you for this video. Just received my heatsink today in the mail. I’m guessing they pulled the pre-order. Waiting for a SSD sale, hopefully around Black Friday.
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      44. Great videos, really informative thank you. My sabrent heatsink arrived today and I should get my firecuda 530 2tb Friday. Slight difference, my thermal pad was blue and pre-applied to the heatsink. My partner’s firecuda 530 with heatsink should come this year so looking forward to your video comparing the 2.
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      45. I followed all these steps from this as other videos, after installing it in never shows up the menu to format so I guess the plsystation isn’t recognizing the SSD ! This should be a issue with the SSD ?
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      46. What’s even more impressive with the Red Dead Redemption test is that you were in the hot *desert* for the Sabrent test and the cooler *forest* with the Eluteng, yet Sabrent still kept the PS5 cooler, truly amazing!!
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      47. For 2TB ssds, they are double sided where the standard heatsinks use thermal pads for both sides of the SSD. The sabrent is effective enough it doesn’t require the bottom of the SSDs heat transferred?
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      48. @nascompares I just noticed you got the temperature sensor cable through one of the negative pressure holes in the SSD bay. Maybe its not a big difference for the Sabrent Heatsink as it’s main dissipation comes from the top plate, but don’t you thing this would impact negatively the airflow on the Elutang and maybe it would have better results without that cable? After all you are taking away 1/4 to 1/2 airflow from the closed negative pressure system in the SSD expansion bay.

        I know its technically really hard to measure temperatures in this PS5 SSD expansion bay, but you could have pointed out this in the video.

        Thanks!!
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      49. @NASCompares Do you think this kind of heatsink would put stress onto the SSD PCB ?? Elutang heatsink is pressing the ssd from both sides, but the Sabrent Heatsinks apply pressure just on the top. Being the SSD fixed at both ends (connection and screw), that would bend the SSD in the middle making the central part of the SSD dissipation worst and it could even break it physically over time.

        About the temperature, isn’t it better to have a few more degrees but constant in time? Big temperature differences over a short period usually reduces the electronics lifespan. As you can put PS5 in standby a lot of times and come back to play it… I’m worried about too many cold/warm cycles could reduce the SSD durability.
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      50. Hi I have purchased a Firecuda 530 2 tb, I have also pre ordered the sb Pshs heatsink, I assume this means the Firecuda is double sided? Does the heatsink give enough cooling? Thanks
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      51. Bit of a design flaw by sony, they should have either had an OEM solution or designed the m.2 Bay so air could flow through it. I’ve got the Elutang heat sink on a samsung 980 1tb, can’t be arsed changing it, don’t think 30-60 degrees Celsius on a m.2 is going to cause any throttling or damage
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      52. Surprisingly I was able to score a FireCuda with Heatsink this week. Thought I’d be waiting for months. What helped was signing up for stock notifications. Good luck on your hunt.
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      53. Sorry if I missed this but is the sabrent heatsink compatible with other ssds? I was looking at the seagate firecuda and if this is compatible with that it would be amazing
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      54. So i bought the adata xpg gammix s70 blade 2tb and used the heat sink provided was just wondering if i was to get this heatsink can i just put it ontop off the ssd with heatsink already on or do i need to remove the original heat sink great video as always
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      55. Great video man. Currently debating between 2 orders I have … The Firecuda 530 with the Sabrent heatsink, or the Firecuda 530 with the included heatsink. Look forward to your next video
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      56. Just out of curiosity are you going to do a similar video with the firecuda 530 with built in heatsink just wondering what the difference would be compared to the sabrent cover plate ssd combo
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      57. I have a quick question, I want to purchase a seagate firecuda 530 4tb w/ heatsink, but after seeing the results of the Sabrent heatsink, should I instead purchase the seagate firecuda 530 4b without a heatsink and use the Sabrent or should I purchase the seagate firecuda with its heatsink already? What do you guys think? Thanks guys!
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      58. I have problem, i order new Synology DS220+, shoud arrived in week.
        Now i wonder is there any difference between RAID1 and SHR getting data out from single drive in skenario 2030, NAS is broken, cant buy new one because Synology company doesnt exist anymore and i only have computer to get data safe place again? How BTRFS effects in same scenario?
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      59. Thanks a lot for the thorough review! Awesome work.
        Is it possible in the future for you to compare a combo of this heatsink with different kinds of SSDs (Seagate, WD, Samsung, Aorus etc…) against built-in OEM SSD heatsinks? Or is it just fare to say that by design, this Sabrent heatsink will always be a couple of degrees cooler than any other “closed up” design under the PS5 cover lid?
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      60. Thanks for the hard work! If possible, I would love to see how the WD Black and FireCuda’s factory fitted heatsinks fare (plate on and off) against the Sabrent solution.
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      61. with all respect for your job and the the effort you put in your contents

        you need to work on length of your contents m, The length of the videos makes the viewer get bored quickly, You do not need to prolong the speech, short and focused explanation is enough and more Enjoyable for the viewers
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      62. Great videos like always. My dilemma is if it’s better to get the sabrent heatsink or the one with the firecuda 530. Can you do a temperature comparison test between this sabrent heatsink and the firecuda 530 w/heatsink preferably the 2tb?? That will be one of those ones as far as the best of the best going head to head.
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      63. Great videos like always. My dilemma is if it’s better to get the sabrent heatsink or the one with the firecuda 530. Can you do a temperature comparison test between this sabrent heatsink and the firecuda 530 w/heatsink preferably the 2tb?? That will be one of those ones as far as the best of the best going head to head.
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      64. Really informative video. Would you recommend not using a traditional heatsink along with this cover, or would it seem like an alright idea? I’m planning to use a traditional one until the sabrent one releases at the end of October and was wondering if I should just outright remove that one in favor of just relying on the sabrent one.
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      65. Just installed my 1tb sn850 and that same heatsink and seems good so far I don’t have a way to check the temperature but the ps5 is blowing out some pretty intense heat out the back
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      66. Does the sabrent completely block the negative pressure slits? If so what if some slots were made in the sabrent to allow the negative pressure as well as the fan cooling
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      67. Was your room ambient temperature the same? If I’m understanding this correctly the airflow temp is for the most part the room ambient temperature. They are both rising 8 degrees which tells me they are pretty much are identical in cooling performance.
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      68. Been waiting for this video! Awesome and thorough as always! Bought the Sabrent+ 1TB based on your previews review and waiting to be able to get my hands on the heatsink to use the full package!
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      69. If you have the chance to get your hands on the ElecGear EL-P5C. I’ve been waiting for it to come out (amazon says late October). It’s a very similar design as the Sabrent, but larger and with a copper Heatpipe. Thanks for all of your videos. I actually got a Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus and an Eluteng Heatsink because of your reviews. Cheers!
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      70. amazing test!!! the conclusion of that is, if you already have a 3rd party heatsink like eluteng or jeyi heatsink, the nvme is already pretty cool at 40ºC (it don´t trothle until 75-80ºC) and therefore don´t worth upgrading to sabrent nvme for a mere 2-5 degrees less, i know this years ago, because until the game is load, the data is stored on the main ram/gddr6 vram, wich is much faster than any nvme disc, and therefore the nvme disc are doing NOTHING until load savegames or load map, the rest of the time the nvme disc is basically on rest mode until new data or loading map happen.

        i already have a sabrent gen 3 nvme disc on my pc, and even load gaming or playing games on it, it even reach a cold 29ºC , wich is a gaming situation, the temp go higher if you smash it countinously writing or copying hundred of data, but gaming is totally diferent, the same is for ps5
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      71. I had to add one more comment, your the first tester to actually use the correct form of heat testing with an actual meter with nodes!! Perfect! These videos are addicting!
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      72. Ok that soulsborne story is too hilarious ????????????. Even though I’m not worried because I preordered this heatsink but can you put the bed that this doesn’t void the warranty lol
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      73. I just pre-ordered this heat sink and am so glad for the confirmation of the information that I had accumulated. Much appreciated ???? wonderful work and thank you.
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      74. Overall anything under 50c is well within specs and will never throttle performance nor will it affect the lifespan of the SSD to the point it would matter as far as the lifetime of the ps5 itself. If you already have a heatsink on your SSD, it’s not worth taking it off to get the Sabrent PS5 heatsinkcover. If you don’t already have a heatsink and have a bare drive, go for it if you can get ahold of one
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      75. I really do like the sabrent heatsink, only think I don’t like is your sucking warmer air into your ps5. I know it’s probably minimal, but that’s the only thing I worry about
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      76. Could I use this heatsink with the samsung 980 pro I already purchased? I figure I could just buy the sabrent heat sink and remove the one I have on my ssd then replace it with this. What do you think?
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      77. @NASCompares I’ve already added the small heatsink to my XPG Gammix S70 Blade I wonder if this would work in addition to that? or would that make it too thick? it seems very hard to get that heat sink off of the S70, but maybe it’s much ado about nothing. have you messed around with the S70 Blade? wondering what the temps are link. it seemed fine on my PC.
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      78. Huge fan & quick subscriber, because your videos are the most complete and informative. Just a heads up, the word “because” is spelt incorrectly in the quick disclaimer. Keep up the great work.
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      79. o7 for testing the heck out of the heatsink. Take a break and use the heatsink for games and not for testing.
        Now im not sure if im gonna buy that though, cuz probably another company or maybe Sabrent themselves might make a better design that dissipates heat more.
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      80. Greetings, thanks for the information, I have a question, it will work with the WD-BLACK SN850 because I already ordered it and the first sabrent I bought is so big that I couldn’t even put the ssd on the ps5 I don’t want to lose more money thanks for your work it helps a lot to the whole community thanks you so much
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      81. Absolutely fantastic testing. I knit you worked extremely hard on this well done. I look forward to your other tests using this sebrant against other heatsinks. Keep up the great work ????
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      82. Ive seen the ElecGear ps5 heatsink which has a much larger surface area around the fins and has a copper heat pipe be interesting to see how it compares too the sabrents heatsink.
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      83. The thermal pad is a sticker. If you ever rip off a sticker it is less sticky the next time if it does not rip off. To remove the SSD you have to rip off the sticker. The normal SSD internal heat sink combo according to specs allows you to remove the SSD without ripping off the sticker. The sabrent does not. They also are preinstslling the sticker onto the heat sink not leaving it loose so you can affix it to the SSD as shown.
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      84. These intros are great.
        I think you’re onto something.
        Keep at it, and go as off topic as you like, it just adds to the fun, and might become a brand thing.
        The hard part will at some point be running out of material … but I have a feeling you have a lot of funny nonsense to share.
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      85. Hi. Thanks for the video. I have put the Viper in as an ssd. Everything works fine but it did me 2 times with 2 different. the joke of turning off the console, very shortly after launching a game. Then I rebooted from the console button and it worked perfectly. Another time it was telling me it was impossible to update a game…. I restarted and then it succeeded. For copies it never gave me any problems, it’s just as fast and loads as the basic one, sometimes even a second faster. Do you know what’s causing these shutdowns for no reason? I also have the hdd via USB attached. Could it be that it’s getting confused?
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      86. You my friend are a godsend to the YouTube community. Thank you for your hard work. I had pre-ordered this a few weeks ago but I was skeptical and was waiting on your review to decide whether I would cancel my pre-order.
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      87. The WD_Black 2TB without heat sink is $359 and with is $768 on Amazon. So I bought the one without and got the MHQJRH heat sink for $20. The difference was the SSD without heatsink was on sale while the one with the heatsink was not. Saving $400 by using an 3rd party heat sink was an easy decision.
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      88. I put the heatsink on both sides of the ssd on the ssd. Took the stickers off too and it’s been running great. Firecuda 4tb. I also don’t think I voided my warranty though, as it never said not to remove..
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      89. Should you be transferring the apps from the PS5 (I.e ESPN, Apple TV, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, etc) to the Seagate Firecuda 350 2T as well? I’m curious what’s best or since these apps are optimized for the PS5, it would be best to just leave them on the internal drive for best performance. Thank you! Love the vids.
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      90. Can’t decide between getting a Gigabyte Auros now or continue to wait and see what’s coming. I just don’t want to be stuck with nothing, but I’m curious about some new products releasing next month.
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      91. The internal PS5 SSD can exceed 9GB/s reads from compressed data. 5.5GB/s raw uncompressed. These expansion SSD’s are only going to be as fast as the console allows, and as fast as the games allow. We aren’t at the limits of the internal drive yet. The difference in loading times between the internal drive and the expansion drives are so small you could find there same difference between two identical PS5’s side by side. The loading of the game itself starts from the PS5’s Home Screen until the first title screen of any game.
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      92. I was thinking about getting a 4tb but im seeing everyone getting a 2tb would that be more then enough storage i dont want the problem that the ps4 had with storage
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      93. What’s your opinion on Sabrents PS5 specific heatsink? Do you think it’ll actually be “the best” like they claim? I know their original heatsink is really good, so they have some reputation, but do you yourself think it’s gonna be a good heatsink?
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      94. English is not my mother language, but man i really appreciate your efforts into the community! When somebody asks me about good videos for questions like theses, i highly recommend yours. There are almost no german youtubers who spends so much time on this. Thank you @ NASCompares ????????????
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      95. 8:54 You say the ADATA S70 should have it’s firmware updated but you don’t say what difference it makes. In your original S70 test the PS5 gave a read speed of 6235, and my own S70 gave 6215. So what speed might I expect if I update the firmware?
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      96. I mean considering Sony strictly says to keep the ssd plate on I think I’ll do the same. I wouldn’t suggest for people to do what they want when Sony makes it clear what they should do.
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      97. For anyone having trouble finding the recommended two-sided heatsinks, I can confirm the Warship Pro works perfectly with the Firecuda 530 with the fat blue thermal pad on top and the thinner red one on the bottom. Fit in the ps5 just fine with the cover
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      98. No wonder why you don’t get to enjoy your PS5. You just keep dropping informative videos. I hope one day you get to sit back and enjoy your ps5. You just got a new Sub 🙂 Happy Friday
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      99. ???????? those plates is like a ps2 throwback and I love it,granted mine have black plates to,but yours is a throwback to the ps2 days I love it!! Also thanks Im following you since the beta,even tho I was not on said beta, I bought a WD black and installed it yesterday oh and a heatsink,is a very easy process,also sorry for my awful English is not my native language.I hope you understood somehow????????
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      100. Internal SSD expansion won’t get faster than PS5(your wrong) all data goes thru the PS5 Custom IO( the overhead is already been used just too keep up with PS5 custom SSD
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      101. To save alot of people from this headache. What all these youtube channels fail to point out to their audience is, in order to install and upgrade a PlayStation 5 m.2 storage you MUST SIGN UP FOR A BETA PROGRAM and be INVITED TO THE PROGRAM BY SONY. Even if you do sign up there is NO guarantee you will be chosen for the Beta program.

        After that you must download the BETA SOFTWARE UPDATE before you have access to this feature. This feature is not fully supported as of yet and is TBD by Sony. Hurry the F#@k up Sony!
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      102. Hey, thank you very much for this good video!
        I have now bought a SAMSUNG 980 PRO hard disk retail, 1 TB SSD M.2 via NVMe and a double-sided heat sink from EZDIY-FAB M.2 2280 SSD.
        According to the internet, both should fit into the PS5 case.
        I’m very curious to see whether it will work, especially with the software.
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      103. just to clarify. We’re not replacing the current SSD right? We’re just adding an addition SSD to the bay. For example, Our PS5 comes with a 1TB, so if i expand to 1TB. My PS5 becomes a 2TB. Is this correct?
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      104. Um, I’m pretty sure any new in box ps5s won’t have the latest firmware installed.. so it would not be advisable to install a m.2 nvme ssd until you have the ps5 updated.
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      105. Guys, please upvote this so more people see.
        DO NOT GET THE SAMSUNG 980 PRO.
        It uses Host Memory Buffer. M.2 SSD devices that support HMB are not supported on the PS5.
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      106. For heat dissipation/airflow purposes, wouldn’t it make sense to leave the cover off of the ssd slot after you install one of these? Makes me wonder why they included a cover in the first place.
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