Welcome to the forums. 
 
I've no idea, but it may not be the video card. It could have been something on the motherboard or on in the PSU.
 
That said, are you using a liquid metal TIM on the GPU die? It looks like it, and if so that was a bad idea unless you used nail polish or similar to electrically isolate the components around the GPU die. Because if you didn't, it might have been one (or several) of those that popped - and to the best of my knowledge, EVGA will likely deny warranty repair on that card if you did use liquid metal.
 
If you aren't using liquid metal TIM, then please disregard. And if it turns out to be the 980 Ti, EVGA has a fairly standard 3 year warranty on their cards and you should still be covered: https://www.evga.com/supp...rranty/graphics-cards/
 
You can always try the 980 Ti is another computer, say a friend's or at a computer repair shop, to see if the same problem follows the card. If it does, RMA the card. If it doesn't, look at your motherboard / power supply. If you have a spare power supply that would be the easiest to test next.
 
EDIT: also the fact that your TIM isn't covering the edges of the GPU die is bad. A GPU die doesn't have a heatspreader like CPUs do, so the TIM needs to cover edge to edge completely. It wouldn't have caused the pop (assuming non conductive / capacitive TIM), but it can cause the GPU to overheat on those edges even if the GPU temperature is being reported as within tolerance.

That definitely isn’t liquid metal. For the pop, I don’t see any clear burns, so you may need better pictures or to investigate the motherboard as well. What is the part number for your gpu.

Yeah sorry meant to add, that I tested it in the new computer, traded out cards and everything works good, it will post with 1 6 pin in the left side connect but with both the computer wont even start. 

did the card you tested with also need 2 psu connectors ??
 
in the end if you do feel its the card  then do the rma ?  all that can happen then is the replacement card works as expected or it still don't . if don't then need to look at something else in your system  ?
 
funny to me and maybe its my lack of knowledge   is how it popped when shutting down and not when it powered up  .   and if it was a PSU issue/whatever   it may do it again with the replacement card  at any given time  or maybe never have issue again at all ?  that's the risk we all take when things as this happens  and the trust in it after the fact. like after this every time you fire up or shut down makes you flinch a tad bit waiting on that pop
 
 

kinda now sounds safe to assume the card went bad   . sorry for your loss   . seein I guess you got another new card now   just rma it and get a replacement  for a good backup  / in case of emergency / rainy-day   card  .   no point keeping a bad card still under warrantee
 
good luck and enjoy