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August 4th, 2026 05:31
Dell Optiplex 7000 MT Motherboard SSD Thermal Pads
When looking at the motherboard while installing a NVMe SSD I noted Dell silkscreens a white square labeled "THERMAL PAD AREA", and have even seen a few for sale online with thermal pads installed there. I will include a couple pics. My best guess is they are 22mm x 22mm due to the size of the SSD and the fact they appear to be square.In the first pic you can see in slot 1 a thermal pad in place and in image 2 of that same slot you can see the silk screen of that area.
I have two questions
What is what is the dell part number for them?
And what size & thickness are they?
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Missouri_Dad
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August 4th, 2026 05:56
After thinking about this for a bit it would stand to reason the thermal pad would have to be 10-30% taller than the standoff used for the SSD to allow for compression. But how tall is the standoff?
anne_droid
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August 4th, 2026 11:05
Hi
Hope this helps, it is not a direct answer to your question. NB: 2230 & 2280.
Does the MT require an SSD thermal pad?
For the 7000 MT/Tower, Dell’s service documentation does not specify a dedicated SSD thermal pad or motherboard-mounted M.2 heatsink in the normal SSD installation procedure. The installation is essentially:
Insert the M.2 SSD at approximately 45°.
Lower it onto the motherboard.
Secure it with the M2 × 3.5 mm screw.
This differs from some OptiPlex SFF and Micro models, where Dell explicitly documents an SSD thermal pad or a custom SSD installation kit. Therefore, do not automatically buy the thick Dell SFF/Micro pad for an MT motherboard.
Suitable replacement cooling
If you want to cool an NVMe drive in the MT:
Use a low-profile M.2 2280 heatsink with a supplied thermal pad.
A pad around 0.5–1.0 mm is typical when fitting a heatsink directly to the SSD.
Cover the SSD controller and NAND area without obstructing the retaining screw.
Do not use a thick 5 mm pad directly between the SSD and motherboard; it can flex the SSD or put stress on the M.2 connector.
Avoid double-sided heatsinks if the SSD is close to another motherboard component or expansion card.
A heatsink is most useful for high-performance PCIe 4.0 drives during sustained writes; ordinary office workloads generally do not require one.
The frequently quoted Dell pads—such as G42TT/412-AAPU and 590FG, 20 × 20 × 5.25 mm—are associated with particular Micro/SFF designs and should not be assumed compatible with the MT.
Practical recommendation
For an OptiPlex 7000 MT motherboard, I would install the NVMe drive without a motherboard thermal pad unless your specific board has a Dell metal heatsink or shield designed to use one. If temperatures are high, fit a thin, low-profile M.2 heatsink on top of the SSD instead.
On Windows, tools such as CrystalDiskInfo or the SSD manufacturer’s utility can show the controller temperature. Also confirm the exact motherboard and chassis by checking the Dell service tag, because OptiPlex 7000 configurations can differ in the number and position of M.2 connectors.
redxps630
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August 4th, 2026 11:23
I find this from Optiplex 7000 Tower (2022) part list
from part description above, the thermal pad is 5.25 mm in thickness and 20x20 mm square.
(edited)
Missouri_Dad
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August 5th, 2026 19:35
This is the height of the stand off, so wouldn't the pad need to be taller than it to compress 10-30% to work?
redxps630
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August 5th, 2026 21:45
The bottom side of M.2 ssd is not necessarily at same level as the nut where you are measuring. There may be chips on the bottom side of some ssd that have a few mm thickness you need to account for.
https://www.thessdreview.com/our-reviews/nvme/teamgroup-t-force-cardea-ceramic-c440-gen-4-m-2-ssd-review/
(edited)
redxps630
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August 5th, 2026 22:42
If the bottom side of ssd is completely flat you can try Dell 7 mm thickness pad
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234195596382?
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Missouri_Dad
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August 6th, 2026 02:15
I had to actually install the wifi 7 card and a RTX 3060 Ti, so while in there I removed the SSD and measured the pad that was there and from what I measured the pad from Dell measures 5mm thick, I made sure not to compress the pad with the calipers while taking the measurement too. I also repeated the measurement three times because, well, I'm just built that way. I also measured the height of all three SSD sockets and they all fell about 6.75mm, the reason I did that was to verify if they would all three need/use the same thickness pad. And so I'm going to say yes they do. Now I don't know if Dell messed up on mine and put a 5mm pad here or if that is what I needed, but I am looking at getting a sheet of 5mm thermal pad to make 4 more 20mm x 20mm squares to go on those other spaces.