High-end graphics cards, like Nvidia’s RTX 40 series, consume significant power, generating substantial heat. To manage this, users expect top-tier cooling systems.
However, a recent investigation by Igor’s Lab revealed that many graphics card manufacturers are cutting corners by using cheap and poorly applied thermal paste. This issue is causing excessive heat build-up and a decline in the long-term performance of these expensive GPUs.
Similar to Igor’s Lab, PC Gamer reports that every single one of their RTX 40 series graphics cards, including the RTX 4080, 4070 Ti, and multiple 4070 units tends to get scorching hot. The RTX 4080 was taken apart and refreshed with a new thermal paste, similar to Igor’s Lab’s findings, the GPU was able to perform significantly better with this refresh.
According to the report, the factory-applied thermal paste on the graphics card deteriorated, leaving behind only a thin, oily residue with a few spots of the original compound within months. Igor’s Lab analysis of a new RTX 4080 revealed a low-quality thermal paste containing excessive silicone oil and zinc oxide filler. While the paste included aluminum oxide for heat transfer, its coarse texture contributed to early separation.
By replacing the factory paste with a high-quality alternative, Igor’s Lab achieved a significant temperature reduction of nearly 30C on another RTX 4080.
The issue extends beyond excessive heat. Poor thermal paste can also reduce a graphics card’s performance as the GPU is forced to lower its clock speed to prevent overheating.
While Nvidia generates substantial profits from its GPUs, graphics card manufacturers operate on narrower margins. However, investing slightly more in better thermal paste is unlikely to significantly impact their bottom line.
Source: PC Gamer
