How the temperature of the running device may impact performance and how to resolve
When using a benchmark to check the performance it always shows lower scores then what is printed in the Intel product site. My system does not have a thermal solution on the SSD, should this be added?
Yes
Without a thermal solution, it's possible to experience a performance impact if the device reaches a temperature of 80° C (throttle set point).
At this temperature, the device will limit its performance to prevent overheating. The SSD won't be damaged as the throttle set point has been reached; however, the built in thermal throttle safety feature that prevents damage can result in lower performance or possibly a system shutdown.
To mitigate this a thermal solution, from either Intel or from the motherboard manufacturer, should be used.