Upgrading before GTA 6? See the GTA 6 PS5 storage guide for what the install is expected to need and which capacity clears it. Buying a bare drive to pair with one of these? The Samsung 990 family page computes the bare-versus-heatsink difference at every capacity, and the heatsink version is often the cheaper of the two.
Every PS5 M.2 expansion drive needs cooling. Buy an SSD with a factory heatsink (Samsung 990 PRO Heatsink, WD Black SN850P, Corsair MP600 Pro LPX) or pair a bare drive with a separate PS5-compatible heatsink (Sabrent). Total height must be ≤11.25mm. PS5 Slim owners: prefer factory-integrated options — some bulky aftermarket heatsinks do not fit Slim.
Sony's PS5 M.2 expansion documentation is explicit: the drive must include cooling. The PS5 expansion compartment is enclosed with limited airflow — the fan-driven console cooling handles the internal SSD and main SoC but does not reach the expansion slot directly. Gen4 NVMe drives running at PS5's sustained bandwidth (during long game installs, background updates, and asset streaming from open-world games) generate 8-12W of thermal output that needs somewhere to go.
Without a heatsink, the SSD reaches 90°C+ under sustained load within 30-60 seconds and enters thermal throttling. Sustained write speeds drop from 6,000+ MB/s to 3,000 MB/s or lower — extending a 100GB install from 8 minutes to over 20. Sustained thermal cycling also shortens drive life through mechanical stress on the controller and NAND packaging. A heatsink prevents both problems.
Factory-integrated heatsinks ship pre-attached to the drive. Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink, WD Black SN850P (PS5 licensed), Corsair MP600 Pro LPX (PS5 labeled), and Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink are the main options. Installation is a single step — the drive-plus-heatsink assembly slides directly into the expansion slot. Guaranteed fit and thermal performance because the pairing is engineered together. Modest price premium over bare-drive plus separate heatsink but simplest install.
Bare drive plus separate heatsink gives more flexibility and typically saves $10-30. Buy any Gen4 x4 NVMe drive that meets PS5 requirements, add a separate PS5-compatible heatsink (Sabrent, Icy Box, or similar), assemble at install time. Requires more attention to fit — verify the specific heatsink you choose fits your PS5 model (particularly PS5 Slim) before purchasing. Aftermarket heatsinks typically use larger heat mass and can outperform factory options on sustained thermal load.
For most buyers, factory-integrated is the safer path. For enthusiasts who value thermal headroom or cost optimization, bare-drive plus separate heatsink delivers better results if you verify fit carefully.
Original PS5: Widest heatsink clearance across the PS5 lineup. Any factory-integrated or aftermarket heatsink meeting the 11.25mm total height rule fits without issue. This is the model with the broadest heatsink compatibility.
PS5 Slim: Marginally tighter expansion compartment than original PS5. Some bulky third-party heatsinks (including some Sabrent variants) reportedly do not fit Slim cleanly. Community reports are mixed. Safest picks for Slim are factory-integrated heatsink drives (WD Black SN850P, Samsung 990 PRO Heatsink, Corsair MP600 Pro LPX) or low-profile aftermarket alternatives. See the PS5 Slim compatibility guide.
PS5 Pro: Similar clearance to original PS5. All PS5-compatible heatsinks that fit original PS5 also fit the Pro. Pro owners have the widest heatsink selection alongside original PS5 owners.
Yes, Sony requires cooling for all M.2 expansion drives. Without a heatsink, Gen4 NVMe drives hit 90°C+ under sustained game installs, triggering thermal throttling that halves sustained write speeds. Either buy a drive with a factory-integrated heatsink or add a separate PS5-compatible heatsink.
Total drive-plus-heatsink height must be ≤11.25mm to fit the PS5 expansion compartment cover. Most factory-integrated heatsinks and dedicated PS5 aftermarket heatsinks satisfy this envelope. Verify height in the product spec before purchasing.
Factory-integrated heatsink drives include Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink, WD Black SN850P (PS5 licensed), Corsair MP600 Pro LPX (PS5 labeled), Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G, and others. The live table above shows current picks with heatsinks integrated.
Community reports are mixed. The original Sabrent PS5 heatsink causes fit issues on some Slim units. For PS5 Slim, prefer factory-integrated heatsink drives (WD Black SN850P, Samsung 990 PRO Heatsink, Corsair MP600 Pro LPX) or explicitly Slim-compatible aftermarket heatsinks.
Both work equally well when correctly sized. Factory-integrated heatsinks (Samsung, WD, Corsair) are engineered specifically for the drive they ship with. Aftermarket heatsinks (Sabrent) typically use larger heat mass and can outperform factory options on sustained thermal load — but only if they fit your PS5 model.
No. Sony's compatibility requirement is not thermal-dependent — the PS5 will format an unheatsinked drive, but sustained performance suffers and drive life shortens through thermal cycling. Buy a heatsink even if benchmarks suggest your drive runs cool at short workloads. Long game installs and background updates create sustained thermal load that requires the heatsink.