Recently, I purchased a Sapphire Nitro+ OC 8gb. When it arrived I was delighted at the performance, but I was having issues in a closed case environment.
Upon using the advanced thermal inspection of using my hand to feel where the heat was coming off of the heatink, I realized a large chunk of it was coming out of the front edge (internal side) of the card.
This heat in turn was being partly blown back UNDER the card, and being recirculated into the cooler, causing higher temperatures.
This is the solution I devised.....