The Catastrophic Cooling Design of the EVO-X2: A Surprising Discovery While Adding an M.2

Hello, this is Rcat.
I added a spare M.2 to theAI mini PC introduced here, butI was shocked by the cooling system I found when I opened it, so I have a few things to say.
I would appreciate it if the official manufacturer could explain why it was designed this way.

Next time: I created parts to improve the cooling!

Introduction

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Adding an M.2 SSD and the Discovery

How to Disassemble

If you remove the rubber on the bottom (side), there are six screws; by removing the top four, you can take off the top plate.

M.2 Expansion

This is what it looks like after opening it.
Access to the M.2 slot was super easy, and there were few exposed parts, so I was able to add it with peace of mind.
This part is a very thoughtful design, which is great..

The SSD came with a heatsink from the start. That's nice!

The Problem Revealed

However...a design that overturns these high marks was about to be revealed.

Take a close look at the relationship between the fan and the top plate.
You can see it clearly if you slide it out of place.

Isn't there no intake space for the fan?

How Propeller Fans Work

Due to their mechanism, propeller fans cannot suck in air from the sides. It is a simple structure that just flows air from the front to the back like this.

EVO-X2 Status

What is the state of the EVO-X2? Well, it looks like this.
Yes, the air intake is completely blocked. It mentions a slight gap, but it's unclear how much remains when closed.
Looking at how the plate absorbs the screw protrusions, it's probably only 1-2mm at best, isn't it?
This makes the fan almost completely useless. Since there are no holes in the top plate, it cannot draw in air, making the cooling design a zero.

By the way, in cases like this, you would use a turbo fan.
Propeller fans have low intake capacity, but with a turbo fan, you could at least expect some intake even in this situation.
Therefore, the design intent behind using a propeller fan instead of a turbo fan in this situation is unclear. Well, it's probably because it's noisy.

Proposed Improvements

Even an amateur could think of this much. Why didn't they do it?

• Add ventilation holes to the top plate
  Just like on the sides or bottom of the product, ventilation holes should be placed directly above the fan.
  This way, it wouldn't obstruct the intake and should have maintained cooling performance.
  Well, I assume it was rejected due to it being metal and for design reasons, but that's exactly why articles like this get written.

• Switch to a turbo fan
  If the intake area is narrow, you have no choice but to use a turbo fan.
  However, the exhaust would then be on the side and wouldn't hit the board you want to cool, so the cross-sectional structure would become complicated and seem like a hassle. Also, it's noisy.

Lies in the Product Description Images

This is a screenshot of the image posted on the shop. They are touting cooling performance based on a three-fan design.
The problem here is the dedicated SSD/RAM cooling fan on the right.

In the image, it is depicted as if the fan is drawing in air from a vertical direction, but in reality, there are no holes in the top plate, so this kind of intake is impossible.

If we were to correct it to match reality, it would look something like this.
We would remove the representation of intake extending to the right, and it would become an image where there is only a slight intake from the side.
The turbo fan on the left is actually different too, but I'm not making an issue of that, so I'll leave it alone.

Certainly, it is true that a slight breeze is much better than no wind at all, but isn't it a problem to make a fan that barely draws in any air look like it provides super cooling?

Summary

In this video, we looked into the dark side of the EVO-X2.
Since you can't tell without opening it up, many people probably haven't noticed, and even if they do open it, you wouldn't realize it unless you have some technical knowledge.
Honestly,I think it is extremely dangerous to use it in this state during the summer.However, leaving it open is also a problem because it will just collect dust, so
it might be better to DIY a top plate with vents and a filter.

To GMKTEC Official:
I am aware that the official GMKTEC account is on Note.
As stated in the terms of service, criticism is permitted if there is valid evidence. I would like to hear the design intent from the designers.
Specifically, I'd like to know the reasoning behind why you deemed it acceptable to make it look superior, such as providing data showing that cooling performance is maintained despite the top plate blocking the air intake.
Regardless, the product images are clearly wrong and should be corrected.

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