So, I saw my card qualified for the thermal pads so I hit the submit button on the EVGA site here
Reading the early "buzz" about the problem, the thing that was echoed strongly was that the problem affects "All ACX 3.0 cards" - which the classified is, I thought.
 
I tear down my card, get the new VRAM pads installed
I put the front plate back on, and then I'm looking at the array of chokes/VRMs/whatever that are exposed by the front plate ... is waaay different than the FTW, that long pad that lines up so nicely on the FTW seems inapplicable here, as there are 3 rows of caps/caramic things/VRMs that are all different heights, touching nothing, so I leave that alone - as it does seem like they have good airflow at least as-is
 
I turn my attention to the back plate, and I do see it has similar small ICs as the FTW that have no direct contact with any cooling ... but the wide pad doesn't fit on the classified, as the screw holes are closer together - I would have to cut a chunk off of it to fit.
 
Was the classified ever the intended target for this fix? I would think the more robust power phases may have run cooler ... but if that's the case, why the BIOS update?

First and foremostx tbe misconception that more power phases spreads out the power and runs cooler has never been true. It doesnt work like that at all. With less phases, the mosfets are much further apart, so the influence from one to another is reduced. Cram 13 side by side, or 10 for the ftw, and the influence is increased.

The thermal pad modification is said to be optional. If you dont want to install it, you dont have to.

Removing a small piece of the thermal pad for the backplate will not hurt anything. You can easily do that and still install it.

For the vrm section being completely different, that is normal, but i have not seen the classified pcb in person. The classified typically uses completely different mosfets and chokes since it is 100% meant for exotic cooling measures. The mosfets are still in the same location and would still have a thermal pad across them. The FTW even has a thermal pad across the mosfets, but most people assume it doesn't because the internet said somewhere that it was missing, although that is wrong.

The thermal pad that EVGA supplied would go above the original thermal pad on the other side of the heat spreader and theoretically transfer heat from the heat spreader to the cooler.

The instructions tell you how to install them on the classified. If you are going to install the thermal pads, follow the instructions in the thermal pad modification thread that is stickied to the top of the forum.

Scarlet-Tech
The instructions tell you how to install them on the classified. If you are going to install the thermal pads, follow the instructions in the thermal pad modification thread that is stickied to the top of the forum.

The funny thing is they don't
 
The classified is mentioned in the first page of the instructions for the VRAM section, but thereafter is not included in any of the other instructional images, this includes the physical printout I received with the pads and the PDF linked in the sticky.
 
I've cut a chunk off the larger backplate pad so the small ICs now in theory have thermal contact.
 
But I don't see a logical way for any pad to contribute to the frontplate-area VRMs
 
I made a rudimentary mspaint of what the exposed VRM section looks like with the heatsink removed, but the frontplate left on imgur.com/hsD9Cek - but again, I haven't had any problems with the card - I'll trust the updated BIOS for now, and take advantage of my warranty if issues ever arise.