If, and that's a big if, this becomes a trend, then we're likely to see the m2 connector locations on the mobo change (at least the primary lane connected to the CPU).

But to your point, this definitely won't fit under a GPU lol

Yes, the ssd controller basically has double thr output of data each pci-e generation. The rate as well as the power consumption required to run at those speeds dump a lot of heat.

It seems like every generation of nvme drives requires insane cooling to start and then the second generation controllers come along and it is fine.

Pcie 4 drives generate enough heat as is. This is probably overkill and definitely just for show, but if you want sustained performance you definitely need some beefy cooling.

It's less about how much heat they are generating and more about how on most case builds, the m.2 is getting little to no air flow, so ambient temp of the case is the only thing allowing it to move heat away from the components.

This thing is just a gawdy nightmare for someone who just really wants all the bells and whistles even if they don't really add benefit.

Doesn't it look like it's for PCI express?