Are my GPU memory thermal pads contacting the block?

Prozn · 9 Apr 2019 at 08:57

While my first time loop was leak testing I decided to look down the side of my strix 2080 Ti / EK block to check the thermal pads. I don't know why I did, I checked the instructions about 300 times while installing the block and all was correct.

Anyway, It looks like there may be a gap between the pads and the block, which is obviously quite concerning, but I cannot tell for sure. Do these look normal? Am I stressing over nothing?

If I just go ahead with booting. What is the best way to check that my GPU memory isn't overheating/running hot? I wan't to avoid any unwelcome games of space invaders if at all possible

Ps. Sorry for bombarding the watercooling forum, but it felt like this warranted a new topic!

Prozn · 9 Apr 2019 at 15:00

Demon said:
You can see the bottom pad looks like it's just drooping over the edge of the RAM IC, but seems flat going further into the PCB, so I'd say assuming your pads are larger than the IC's and just dropping over the edges, they look OK to me.

If I was worried, I'd overclock the GPU MEM, if I could get anywhere near a normal overclock I'd call that a success since if there was just an air gap it certainly wouldn't go as well as the stock cooler in terms of memory.

Thanks. I managed a 15500 on the memory on the stock cooler, so will give that a go tonight! Starting at 15000....!

Prozn · 9 Apr 2019 at 15:20

orbitalwalsh said:
???

https://www.eteknix.com/new-batch-of-rog-strix-rtx-2080-ti-cause-ek-waterblock-problems/

I actually came across this completely by chance when searching for the installation guide on the EK website, so the 4 closest standoffs to the die have been removed from my block :cool:

Although I'm not particularly happy with it, you cant blame EK for ASUS making a change to their process I guess.

Prozn · 9 Apr 2019 at 15:26

orbitalwalsh said:
asus does this quite a bit !
Gigabyte does this half way through but they are normally big changes - going from reference design to their own

Just another one of the perils of watercooling!

I had another problem with my block, the standoff on one corner of the block does not line up perfectly with the screw hole on the PCB. I'm not sure if it is a manufacturing fault or user error, but it didn't seem to affect the clamping force around the components that matter so I just went with the screw missing.

Prozn · 10 Apr 2019 at 08:44

Smffy said:
I think it looks pretty good, it’s tough to tell as the edges look like they hang loose but the pressure on the chips is fine.

If in doubt take it off and you will visually see the depression from the VRAM in the pads, reapply paste and reattach.

Thanks! I booted the system up last night and everything looks fine. GPU sits +1C over water temp at idle, and +10 to 15C at load, with core clock pegged at 2,100mhz. Cannot check memory temps, but I am running the memory at 15,400mhz (7,700/1,925 (why are there 3 ways of quoting memory speed?)) and all seems stable, so I guess that is a good sign the memory is being cooled.

Prozn · 17 Jun 2019 at 18:13

Necroing this thread for an update: turns out the pads were not fully contacting the memory/vrm! I was getting random black screens under high load situations. I took the block apart, lo and behold - no depressions in the pads!

Having reseated the block and being more careful with the installation everything is working perfectly.

I'm an idiot :rolleyes: