IT guys assemble. 
Another 980Ti burned up again (R33 chip). One died almost a year ago in the same manner. After one year one of the R33 chips burned up. Smelled like a burnt clutch.  Now I understand why support would suspect something in my computer causing this however I had a 780Ti in it for years with no issue (and again when the 980s died I put the 780 back in). AND when the first 980Ti burned up and I smelled the smoke I immediately assumed it was the power supply cause it smelled similar to a failed power supply that died on me years prior so I replaced the power supply before I realized it was the video card that was keeping the computer from turning on. (W/E safety measures that are in place on the PSU won't allow the computer to turn on while connected to the failed card). I also had the computer plugged into a surge protector and even replaced the surged protector after I moved to a new apartment. I'm using a EVGA vid card, x79 EVGA mobo, and EVGA PSU (previous was 1000W, new one is 800W also EVGA).
So I get why support would think that something in my PC is causing this cause I do IT too and the first conclusion I would jump to with a customer would be something the user is doing but it doesn't make sense why the R33 chip would make a noise like arcing electricity and sizzle the board and turn the chip to ash after almost the same time as the previous. 99% of the power draw is from the PSU directly and it was replaced before receiving the replacement.  Been doing IT for over a decade and have vid cards die all the time but usually cause of bad ram, never a burned up inductor chip. 
To me if it's the same exact R33 inductor then it sounds like a manufacturer error.
 
It is under warranty though for another year, but I want them to give me an equivalent performing card that's newer cause I don't trust their 980Tis anymore and for good reason. (I'm not asking for a 1080Ti, I'm not looking to score a free upgrade. I only want something that performs the same that's a differ model in case there's a manufacturer error here.)
 
Any thoughts, opinions, experiences? 

At least it's under warranty. But very odd regardless. How far did you push the card in terms of overclocking& voltage?

Hello, and welcome to my world.
EVERY video card I have (8800GT's in s;i, 9800GT, GTX580, GTX770, and GTX 780) all work flawlessly in my computer.
BUT, I am now on my 6th Titan X, and the stupid things just dont want to work with my system. (I did everything they asked: Watercooled, suspended the drooping part of the card, used DDU, did safe boot thingy, redid the whole os over again, sent in PSU, used different psu, tried all kinds of software, etc etc etc, for a whole year, maybe more now).
 
I have asked for a swap to a different card (heck, I would take a 1070TI, as it has similar gaming fps @ 2560x1440), but they just keep sending me other peoples video cards that they sent in because they were bad, so I just basically get bad cards over and over and over (6 times now). I WOULD mind losing the extra 4GB, BUT if it works in my system and plays great and doesnt start degrading (this one already has after basically 5 days of playing games, not all in a row, just 5 days of maybe 3 hours playing games in what? 3 weeks?), and it is already starting to degrade, with the heat going from a constant 58C (NEVER going above 60C), to now going straight to 85C in almost every game I play.
I HAVE to use msi afterburner to set the fan at 100% to even play games w/o the fps going from 90fps and dropping to 30 fps and back up to 90 and dropping to 30 ad infinitem.
 
So, good luck trying to get them to actually do anything about it. They will just say your system is the problem, not their 900 series lineup of cards, although there is TONS of evidence out there that show they dont cool the vrm's well enough.
 
I hope you have more 'luck' with them than I did.
This is the first time I have had to deal with evga support, and I have to say it has NOT been a good experience.
More than likely, they will say 'its your system', and just send you back your own video card, or an even worse one.
:(

It's not a resistor. It is an inductor. I have no idea why they don't label them Lxx on the tops of the components. Impedance? They are labeled as Lxx on the PCB, at least.
It is Very interesting that those large inductors, of all things, would burn.

I guess like the ones in this thread with the links I showed ?
 
https://forums.evga.com/GTX-980-Ti-Literally-Cooked-m2742290.aspx
 
don't know seems a few substandard / defective  /bad batch  parts   ??  I guess there systems  was at fault as well ???
 
good luck

Dr.Death
I guess like the ones in this thread with the links I showed ?
 
 
 
don't know seems a few substandard / defective  /bad batch  parts   ??  I guess there systems  was at fault as well ???
 
good luck

I'd bet the farm that it was that inductor that burned up. If people only knew that they were allowed to take the cards apart and take pictures of it I bet we'd see this is a lot more common than support thinks. (with the exception that if you cause any damage to the board in any way while taking it apart it could ruin your chances of RMA)

This happened to me last night too during PUBG stream, a friend of mine found this thread. I guess it must just be a bad batch, at least the awesome warranty will take care of those of you who bought it! :)

Apologies for the dust, I was quick to pull it out and open it up. 
 

Let’s not forget when gtx 480 sli burned down houses ;)

well I thought evga was known for having overclocking robust cards ??? 
I do kinda think it maybe  like said got a bad batch/ run from one of there suppliers  .  then you do see other brands doing this .  maybe some flaw by NVidia  seeing most all are reference looking parts used not the  evga gen2 aftermarket vrm cards / nonreferance evga design  ???   I got a ref vrm  pcb card as well not a gen2  [I think there still called gen 2 ??]   chokes  are the smaller looking black with the white center as see here  in the first  pic showing 8+2 Power Phases   ?  that kind .   
 
https://www.evga.com/articles/00957/EVGA-GeForce-GTX-980-Ti-FTW/
 
 
 
could be wrong but that's something I noticed   the gen 2 pcb's  not ones burning up  just the reference types' like in the guys picture above ???

I bought the SC+ cause it's already factory OCed and stable. 

EVGA encourages us to overclock, they make the cards overclocable.
They give us software to do it with. You are not going to hurt your card overclocking it.
If overclocking GPUs hurts them EVGA would not honor a warranty on an overclocked card. They would not encourage you to overclock.
They even make cards for you to use liquid nitrogen on, and honor the warranty!!!!
I bet they know exactly what a card can do, and they leave a bit of head room so people can overclock them.
Then the people think they are getting more than what they paid for.
When I buy a used GPU, I rather buy a good overclocker than a bad one, you are not going to hurt that card.

.
 

It's OT, but that's what happens. Nvidia isn't even supporting 32 bit OSes now. Adapt or die, that's the computer world.

Wonder if a better cooling solution would preserve that inductor or if it's degradation can't be stopped.  

Dr.Death
it now there not going to support nothing but what ''THEY'' want to  , now has nothing to do with you and your wants and needs  . your personal computer is now going to be ''there'' public one ...

What?