ZeroBANG
> (due to quality issues with one VRM supplier- was tough to get an explanation about the root cause by the way....)
...do you have that in writing? because that might explain the exploding VRMs just as easily as the high temps. The combination of the 2 even more so.
Google "gpu caught fire" and look at all of the Radeon, ATI, and, Asus, MSI, gigabyte, Palin, galax.... Cards that have all blown components over the generations in the same exact place as everyone is experiencing. There are a pretty good amount of pictures out there.. And 3 evga pictures.
I am not trying to justify or defend evga, but this isn't uncommon for components to fail. Only a couple of VRM's have actually popped on an evga card.. It's usually a resistor or capacitor that gives out. You can see the exact same thing across all manufacturers.