The whole thing is a shambles to be honest.
EVGA still refuses to admit there is a problem and are hiding this under the veil of it being an 'optional extra for better cooling'.
Well I will apply my bios update, fit my 'free' thermal pads and hope my card has a decent lifespan. Then when it comes to selling it on, hope the resale value isn't crippled too badly.
I will then take my custom elsewhere.
Very disappointed by the way this whole fiasco has been handled.
In the internet age, you just can't operate like this. Word spreads like wildfire and there are plenty of other brands making competing products. People will just go elsewhere.

To those who're saying that THIS is not a big deal : Well, in my case for example, I've paid ~750€ for this GPU and for me (also everyone who appreciates his earned money) this is really inexcusable! Paying that much for a HIGH END GPU like that and just waiting for a sudden death from overheating (let alone damaging other expensive components inside of the case) is simply outrageous! Even after all this I who bought this GPU, trusting them with my 750€, have to repair it BY MYSELF! What? If I want my GPU replaced I must wait weeks! What? 
 
Really, this is not fair, not fair at all! There are no excuses for this "oversight", for God's sake you have all those engineers working on this product after all and at the end of the day a customer have to do their work and pay you 750€! If this is something normal than this world is pretty much done...

Those who are saying it is not a big deal are deluded, or EVGA reps.
They stick silly features like LED's all over the cards (which I think are tacky and switch off), yet skimp on something critical like thermal pads! It's an absolute joke!

PAULB73
Those who are saying it is not a big deal are deluded, or EVGA reps.
They stick silly features like LED's all over the cards (which I think are tacky and switch off), yet skimp on something critical like thermal pads! It's an absolute joke!

Well... I sure hope they take VRM cooling seriously next time. It should have direct contact with the heatsink like GPU.

Scarlet-Tech

akteni
I couldn't read all 22 pages but read first 6 pages. I didn't see anyone asking if we need to update VBIOS if we apply pads.
1- So is pad application ultimate solution to the issue?
2- What is the spec of thermal pad you are sending? Thermal coefficient especially..
3- What is the actual distance between VRM - Heatsink and VRM - backplate? I am planning to use different pad solution. 
4- Is the heatsink copper or aluminium? I am going to apply grizzly's paste.

As stated,you can use one or the other update,you do not have to do both by any means. If you just adjust the fan speed up a little higher, it sufficiently cools the vrm.

#3, that is in the first post and posted multiple time directly above your post:

For FTW:
Backplate Thermal Pad = 2mm
Baseplate Thermal Pad = 1mm

Other cards:
Backplate Thermal Pad = 2mm
Baseplate Thermal Pad = 1.5mm

#4 nickel plated copper. Thermal Grizzly works great. It is what I use on all of my gpu's currently.

Thank you, 
regarding #3, I was asking distance between parts not the pad thickness because I suspect that it is less than pad thickness because pads are very soft and manufacturers are relying flexibility to squeeze pads for better contact. If I use glued pad (0.15mm) + copper plate (0.5mm) + glued pad (0.15mm), actual distance matters. 
 
I am sensitive about these due to my r&d job in automotive company as engine cooling engineer. 

VRM temperature is rated around 125C so i see bunch of people freaking out here for no reason. I am glad eVGa is doing something about it but honestly this whole thing is crap. Someone started an article showing 106C for VRM and started freaking out everyone else. I got FTW card back in August from Newegg and never had an issue with. If you are running these in SLI, not going to work due type of cooler is using and close proximity with the cards. You really need a blower type of card for that type of setup. So if you want to SLI, get hybrid card (Water Cooling) and push a card with the fans to second PCIe slot.
 
Don't overclock card, it is dumb. FTW overclocks itself up to 1963Mhz for me, that's just crazy plenty. And don't use furmark crap because it is unrealistic, and you are just stressing your card with no good reason.

What are the part numbers of the new cards that are shipping with the pads from factory?
 
If I go to Microcenter how can I know if they have new cards?

lradunovic
VRM temperature is rated around 125C so i see bunch of people freaking out here for no reason. I am glad eVGa is doing something about it but honestly this whole thing is BS. Someone started an article showing 106C for VRM and started freaking out everyone else. I got FTW card back in August from Newegg and never had an issue with. If you are running these in SLI, not going to work due type of cooler is using and close proximity with the cards. You really need a blower type of card for that type of setup. So if you want to SLI, get hybrid card (Water Cooling) and push a card with the fans to second PCIe slot.
 
Don't overclock card, it is dumb. FTW overclocks itself up to 1963Mhz for me, that's just crazy plenty. And don't use furmark crap because it is unrealistic, and you are just stressing your card with no f. good reason.

The problem is real and serious, if you want to turn a blind eye on it, fine, your choice at the end of the Day. Some won't and don't, they are Customers and paid good money for it.
You have no reason, at all, to be upset or underplay the situation, unless you're an EVGA employee or someone who didn't paid for his card, right?
 
Company's trolls are the worst... and an insult to one intelligence.
 
 
 
*********************************************
@PAULB & Methodical M
 
Indeed.

Telling people not to overclock their card is limiting what they can and can't do. You dont pay hundreds of dollar and take away an option they can do with other cards 

lradunovic
VRM temperature is rated around 125C so i see bunch of people freaking out here for no reason. I am glad eVGa is doing something about it but honestly this whole thing is crap. Someone started an article showing 106C for VRM and started freaking out everyone else. I got FTW card back in August from Newegg and never had an issue with. If you are running these in SLI, not going to work due type of cooler is using and close proximity with the cards. You really need a blower type of card for that type of setup. So if you want to SLI, get hybrid card (Water Cooling) and push a card with the fans to second PCIe slot.
 
Don't overclock card, it is dumb. FTW overclocks itself up to 1963Mhz for me, that's just crazy plenty. And don't use furmark crap because it is unrealistic, and you are just stressing your card with no good reason.

No you are wrong. You don't get it. You say don't overclock card. What! Probably the majority who buy this enthusiast level card will overclock.
I do, moderately. And what's this about getting a blower type. Thanks for the post, but sorry, you are simply wrong.