Embodiments include apparatuses, methods, and systems for managing thermal energy of a computing device. An apparatus may include a heat pipe physically and thermally attached to a container by a retainer. The container may include a plurality of slots to removably receive various plurality of pluggable circuit modules during a lifetime of the container. The heat pipe may facilitate a liquid coolant flow to remove thermal energy from a plurality of pluggable circuit modules removably received into the plurality of slots of the container. The retainer may have a tensile strength sufficient to withstand repeated receiving and removal of the various plurality of pluggable circuit modules during the lifetime of the container, without degrading the thermal attachment of the heat pipe to the container below a design performance threshold. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.