a front plate for attaching to a front surface of the memory module and a back plate for attaching to a back surface of the memory module, each plate comprising:

a heat-transfer area for making thermal contact with memory chips mounted on the memory module;

a bottom edge portion that provides a bottom opening between the plate and the memory module for an entire length of a bottom edge when the plate is attached to the memory module, the bottom edge of the memory module containing metal contacts for making electrical contact to a memory module socket;

a top attachment portion for making contact with a substrate of the memory module near a top edge that is opposite the bottom edge of the memory module;

fastener holes for fasteners in the top attachment portion, the fasteners for fixedly attaching the plates to the substrate of the memory module;

a pair of side portions that each make contact with the substrate of the memory module in an upper side portion near the top edge, but do not make contact with the substrate for a lower side portion near the bottom edge; and

top-edge slots formed near the top edge in the top attachment portion of the plate, the top-edge slots for allowing air flow underneath the plate between the plate and the substrate, from the bottom opening to the top-edge slots,

whereby air-flow underneath the plate is provided by the top-edge slots.