Can anyone help please? 
 
Good Evening & Help Please!!
 
Thanks for the continuous updates. I am in an awkward position as I bought a new GTX 1070 FTW for building a new rig but then ended up in hospital whilst this happened. So it is new and unboxed. ALways believed in EVGA but always bought ASUS, until now so it is of course my fault so apologies for that gents & ladies!
 
The Question
 
With the 'new' and changed cards being released by EVGA, have they had new grease applied and thermal pads prior to being shipped? As these are modified cards as it is hardware change followed by a BIOS change have you made a slight change to the actual card code itself so that people know upon buying the updated non melting cards made by EVGA which are factory shipped from EVGA compared to the EVGA DIY Card Fixes made by many, many owners and I may become one. Not sure.
 
Not sure if I can exchange with my supplier but I am very close to heading back to ASUS but I have always wanted to experience EVGA...Sigh.
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Thank you :)

Just done the thermal pad mod myself (using the EVGA kit). There appeared to be no contact what so ever with the thermal pads on the VRAM modules closest to the VRM circuitry and only partial contact with the other VRAM modules. The pads that came in the kit for the VRAM modules are definitely a bit thicker and I checked that they were making correct contact after fitting. Just looks to me like EVGA fitted thermal pads on the VRAM modules that were not thick enough!
 
So I can only reiterate what others have said... and suggest that you do fit these pads.