Z790-i without top nvme board

[cmosfxx]

Hello everyone.

I like this rog z790-i itx motherboard but I want to install just one nvme drive on the bottom m.2 slot (chipset side).

The issue is my drive has a heatsink and it's physically impossible to install it without removing the asus nvme heatsink which goes together with a daughter board for the second m.2 slot.

I don't care about a second m.2 slot and I'm ok removing it completely but I'm not sure if the mainboard will like that.

If anyone has done this please let me know I'd appreciate it. 

[JohnAb]

I think you can probably leave the daughterboard off without any problems, you could just try that and see. I imagine it would be no different to having no drive installed in it, but that's my opinion, I don't know for sure.   

I think your other option would be to remove the NVME heatsink assuming it's easy to do, fit the drive and then add the daughterboard as intended. At least that give you the option of adding another drive in the future. However, removing the heatsink could invalidate the drive warranty - depends on whether it's designed for easy removal. 

Whether the NVME heatsink that's already fitted to the drive will be better than the thermal pad and heatsink solution with the NVME/motherboard mounting system - that's hard to say.