How to "install" thermal pad on WD Red SN700 SSD?

[serpro69]

I have a WD Red SN700 SSD that I want to install in a QNAP NAS via their QM2 expansion card.

The expansion card has a heatsink and came with thermal pads and rubber pads for the (potential) SSD, but I'm confused a bit on how to "apply" them.

 

1. The thermal pad. On the manual, it appears that they've cut the termal pad into pieces? 

Do I actually need to do that, or can I stick the whole piece on it without cutting it? The width of the pad is exactly same as the ssd, so slightly wider than the controllers. (see pic below). Would that be a problem? I'm not sure how to precisely cut this thing really, since controllers are covered by the sticker.
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

2. The bottom of the SN700 is completely flat. Does that mean I don't need the rubber pads? I'm not entirely sure where to place them otherwise.

 

Expansion card manual ( https://www.qnap.com/en/support/con_show.php?cid=115#c ) is a bit generic, so I'm not 100% sure how to proceed, and I don't want to damage things out of lack of knowledge. So hopefully someone could give me some tips on how to prepare the ssd.

[serpro69]

Found this, which I guess kind of answers my questions
 

I have a slightly different expansion card and the SSD, but I think the same principles apply.
The sticker with the serial number etc is also on top of my SSD, but from what I could gather online - you're not supposed to remove that. So I guess I'll just stick the thermal pad on top of it, and will see if I need any rubber pads to support the SSD on the bottom and just stick them wherever.

[Mr. Fox]

On 10/31/2023 at 8:25 AM, serpro69 said:

I have a slightly different expansion card and the SSD, but I think the same principles apply.
The sticker with the serial number etc is also on top of my SSD, but from what I could gather online - you're not supposed to remove that. So I guess I'll just stick the thermal pad on top of it, and will see if I need any rubber pads to support the SSD on the bottom and just stick them wherever.

Yes that is correct. A thermal pad on the underside of a M.2 drive that has no components serves no purpose. Likewise, having it there causes no harm. You only need the thermal pad on the side(s) with memory chips and the controller, between those components and the heat sink. Depending on the latching mechanism design, the M.2 might still be somewhat loose after the retaining screw is tightened. Placing a thermal pad under the M.2 drive may keep it from being loose or sloppy. Sometimes the standoff that the retaining screw threads into does not have a ridge that fits snugly into the notch on the end of the M.2, so it not clamp or pinch the M.2 drive in place securely. This will allow it to have some wiggle room after the screw is tightened.

[serpro69]

Thanks a lot!
Having not dealt with desktops for the past 15+ years I can't say I ever had to install thermal pads on the SSDs, so just wanted to confirm that my assumptions were correct before I made any moves.