Some imagery I put together: 500px.com/gregmyers/galleries/epic-chip-failure-on-an-evga-geforce-gtx-970-video-card
The card blew out, with an audible pop, while running a large and sophisticated custom Far Cry 4 map.  I am still trying to get the motherboard to post with the old video card.
I only seemed to have problems with the Far Cry 4 custom map editor.  
While I am disappointed that the card blew like this, I did get many, many hours of great use from it. 
 
And, I also got many hours of imaging enjoyment from the frozen state of its violent demise.
 
attached image Chip is approx 5x7mm in size and after ash has been removed.  Imagery at link gets down to ~2x3mm.  
 
Enjoy!

Oh yea.  I think it was a bit over two years old. 
 
Follow the link ( 500px.com/gregmyers/galleries/epic-chip-failure-on-an-evga-geforce-gtx-970-video-card It's some awesome real world video card carnage :-)) and you can see some interesting features to what I think is a memory chip (haven't bothered to verify).  The really vivid colors are static and I think from exotic materials, some gold and the like.  You can see where hot molten metal melted and pushed away at the silicone...
 
When I get my next card I will have no problems picking up another EVGA card....even the same one if I get the old rig up and running.   

Hello, we are sorry to hear about your (strangely beautiful) card failure. So long as that card is under warranty we would be happy to replace that for you. Please register that at EVGA.com > Service > Product Registration.

I thought it was a 3 year warranty?
 
Looks like a mini hydrogen bomb went off.
 
My guess is a voltage regulator.

EVGATech_RayH
Hello, we are sorry to hear about your (strangely beautiful) card failure. So long as that card is under warranty we would be happy to replace that for you. Please register that at EVGA.com > Service > Product Registration.

I agree, there is something quite beautiful about that image.