1 - 4% of FTW models. My own ACX 3.0 model (same PCB as your SC) is running just fine without any heatsinks under an AIO cooler and G10 bracket with just a fan cooling the VRAM and VREGs. No thermal pads, no heatsinks! They run in the 40C range which is quite cool, and that is while highly OCed. (edit - as measured with a wireless IR gun)
 
2 - Easy, and instructions will be given either in a print out or a guide online. It entails removing the backplate.
 
3 - Yes, if you provide CC collateral and request it.
 
4 - No chance of that unless you do a swap under the retailers rules.

There is no lack of thermal pads on the VRM. the thermal pad actually works as an non-conductive surface between the heat spreader and the mosfets. If there was no thermal pad, the mosfets would fry instantly when they receive power as it would short out.

My thought process is that people are running their card at the stock fan speed (30%) which is jot forcing enough air through the cooler to dissipate hest from the heat spreader.

The reason I think that? I have a 1070 ftw... I set it to the slave bios, and it runs the fan at a stock 50% (slave bios has the same exact settings, with a more aggressive fan profile stock). My backplate and vrm section don't go over 50c, from what the ir heat gun I have shows, and my card runs a folding program (Folding at home) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Granted, F@H isn't extremely stressful like furmark, which is what was used to actually generate so much heat (it's not smart to use a black listed program known to kill graphics card, in case you weren't aware), but since the card runs stock fan speeds constantly and I have never seen so much as a hiccup, I decided to add my own thermal pads that I had lying around.. The results were the same before and after. The backplate and vrm section still run the same temps.


The thermal pads only take a few minutes to install. It is really easy and a commonly one thought process.

EVGA does an advanced RMA program in the US, where they will ship a card to you before you ship the old one back. This requires them to out a hold on your credit card for the fill price of the card, which gets released after your card is returned.

I don't know if eVga would be able to do a third party exchange process.

It all depends on ambient temp, fan speed, game being played, and air flow in your case.