I just received my Framework 16 and went to install my M.2, and I’ve seen in videos that when I install the secondary one, I need to remove the bottom thermal pads film, but when I opened it up, I saw this long thermal pad just laying across. Does that need to be moved? Because at least from videos I’ve seen, that’s not supposed to be there. Maybe I’m wrong, though.
That thermal strip is normally stuck on the surface opposite of that M.2 connector. There may be an outline of where it was originally. The blue tape on the thermal strip is what you normally take off after you install the 2280 M.2 drive.
Is that a thermal pad underneath the 2230 slot? I do not remember seeing that on my Framework Laptop 16 that was one of the early batches. Maybe it is something they have added in later versions or I was so enamored with putting my drives in I completely overlooked a thermal pad on the underside of the 2230 drive.
Congrats on your new Framework Laptop 16!
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Or do you mean that it’s supposed to be sticking to the mid plate, and then when it’s screwed down it presses onto the m.2? That is a thermal pad for the other m.2 underneath I figured that out from a video I saw.
I just found a video where somebody showed replacing that specific thermal pad, and it sits on top of the m.2 and is pressed down on top of it from the mid plate.
Yes, my Framework 16 had this thermal pad stuck to the midplate. I guess, yours got unstuvk during shipping.
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All right I just wanted to get a confirmation with somebody so that seems like what it is thank you for the comment and for the help
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@Gmanny is correct. I forgot to mention that the longer thermal pad is normally stuck to the mid plate and then is designed to make contact when the midplate is reassembled. Glad you got it sorted out.
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Does anyone know if that thermal pad is necessary? I noticed it had migrated down its channel and started squishing into the expansion ports. My laptop is stored on its left side in my backpack…
Hi @Andrew_Pegram,
The thermal pad is not critical to the M.2 drive working. It just enhances the longevity of the drive running at higher speeds for a longer period of time before it starts to thermal throttle. If doing basic laptop things odds are the drive will not overheat and slow itself down.
If a bunch of SSD activity is going on (video editing, long backup, maybe some higher end games) it would help in the long term to keep closer to max thruput before slowing down.
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