Hi,
 
for some reason I only recently read about the offer regarding the updated thermal pads for the ACX 3.0 design. I have 2x 1080 FTW in SLI with the top card hybrid cooled (upgraded myself). Under the heaviest gaming-like load (Fire Strike Ultra stress test; not Furmark) I get like 71°C for the bottom (air) card and 68°C for the top (hybrid) one - where I have reduced fan speed a little due to noise.
 
I'd like to ask whether EVGA officials would recommend the thicker thermal pads in this case as my cards just don't get that hot (not like the 85°C I found in the article informing me about the pad mod), as I already have set a custom fan curve that maxes out at 57°C (for the sake of higher boost values).
 
Thanks!
 
 
PS: Oh, OCed, of course, to +70 / +400.

Sajin, thanks again for your quick reply, and the link! Great to hear that my cards are fine.
 
I had a temp problem before due to the 1-slot spacing between my cards and - obviously - an airflow issue with my case. The top card is sandwiched between the bottom one and the huge Noctua NH-D15. That's why I upgraded to the hybrid design. Before it would hit the 90°C mark under stress testing. Would you still say it is too hot? I mounted the radiator horizontally to the roof of my case.

Thanks, I'll check that out over the weekend.

Ok, so I did the following:
 
- opened case
- removed fan limiter
- disabled SLI (2nd card still in, hb bridge connected)
- set physics to auto
- rebooted
- removed GPU OC (power limit to 100%)
- remove CPU OC
- bios still set to 1
- fan curve maxes out at 55°C
- ran Fire Strike Ultra (4k) stress test
 
The card alternated between 49 and 50 °C during the second half of the test, fan speed between 72 and 76%, GPU core frequency between 2000 and 198?, CPU temp < 60 °C. As I said: bottom card still present. Hybrid radiator mounted horizontally at the top of my case.
 
So there is a problem?

Thanks!

pegnose
+400 MHz on the Vram is still no problem without the new pads? I ask because the bios mod for the 11 GHz memory speed is not available for the ACX 3.0 cooler cards.

They probably installed faster memory in the iCX cards and clocked them lower because they didn't have the thumbs up from nvidia to release 1080s with 11Gbps memory at the time.

Yesterday, my card died. In fire. Talked already to EVGA support, they will give me the same crappy ACX3.0 again, with the same issues. I'll return to ASUS for the next one. Never had any issues there.

pegnose
+400 MHz on the Vram is still no problem without the new pads? I ask because the bios mod for the 11 GHz memory speed is not available for the ACX 3.0 cooler cards.

it is possible to flash 1080 FTW aCX bios to 11 GHz memory speed(with a +200 OC to boot) using 1080 FTW iCX bios with no problems,
 
i have tried the iCX bios on both my aCX cards with no problems(but that might be different on your card), one of my aCX cards is one of the ones that are known to have the "blowing up" effect but both are EK water blocked, 
 
 
 
one caveat, you flash a card at your own risk if you use a bios that is not made for the card  also the aCX flashed to iCX changes the DeviceID which i don't think would do much for the warranty  both my cards are now flashed back to aCX bios and their original DeviceID 
 
Guess that don't help with the topic, but i will draw the line when anyone calls the 1080 FTWs aCX crappy, as they are far from that
 
 

And I also found out, why that happened. Here are images of the VRM cooling part of my original (!) EVGA (!) hybrid cooler:

 
You can see clearly, that the lengthy thermal pad does not reach to the end of the cooler. It is substantially shorter than the one from the ACX3.0 cooler (right part of each image):

 
And exactly at that spot of missing thermal pad there is a clear reddish-brown burn mark (also blue burn marks in the indention to the left and small solder balls at the end of the thermal pad):

 
@EVGA: WTX?! My original EVGA hybrid cooler broke my EVGA graphics card? I _will_ want to have my hybrid cooler replaced! I won't put it back onto the replaced card that way (RMA ongoing). That is outrageous.
 
 
EDIT: Sorry for sounding so annoyed. But this creates a LOT of work, which I have to do. un-mount the hybrid cooler, re-mount it to the replacement card. Documenting all this. While not using my PC properly.
 
 

Today I applied the thermal pad mod to my second 1080 FTW. During this procedure I found that the slim pad on the VRMs wasn't aligned properly. You can clearly see this from the markings on the pad (now corrected):

 
@EVGA: My impression of your QC isn't the best, atm. Do you actually want these devices to break?

 

pegnose
So after pad-modding my second card, and after reading this updated test at Tom's Hardware,
http://www.tomshardware.c...hics-cards,4725-4.html
I come to the conclusion, that you don't actually need the new bios. You can easily set a fan curve yourself - which you want to do anyways as without it your card likely downclocks way to much and you loose performance.
 
But you DEFINITELY want to do the thermal pad mod!! Look at the figures at Tom's, they are what gives you way cooler components, and peace of mind.
 
-> !!!!! Don't let yourself be told otherwise. !!!!! <-
 
The only thing you get from EVGA and in this forum is:
"This is not a problem. This is not a problem. This is not a problem...."
 
Until your card burns out.
 
If you have an old 1080 FTW ACX 3.0: DO THE MOD! In your own interest.
 
By the way, did you notice the section about gaps between VRAM and pads? If you have an 'old' FTW and open it up, you'll likely find thermal pads with no markings of the VRAM chips. Usually, those pads have the chip outlines imprinted from the pressure. My didn't. What does this tell you? Exactly.
 
I know that for most here this topic is old and irrelevant by now. But maybe there are some people like me out there who just now realize that there might be something wrong with their cards.

1, if you go here https://www.evga.com/thermalmod/ type in your serial you'll find out if you need the Mod,
2, If you need to do the Bios, DO IT! as the 1080 FTW aCX(2016) the older version have a different Bios chip, than the newer 1080 FTW aCX(2017) which will already have the new bios chip and will already be flashed and pads fitted,
3, DON'T PANIC, if on the "thermal mod" request page you have the older FTW(2016) you can RMA it back to let EVGA fit the Pads, or DIY them, 
4, you are covered for a number of years by a manufacturing defects warranty(2 or 5 years can't recall) 
5, I have an older 2016 1080 FTW aCX, fitted the thermal mod myself only real issue i had was removing the fan/RGB cables(that was a bit tricky), but then EVGA will work with you if you have any problems,
6, my older(2016) gives me better clocks than my newer(2017), but i still did the mod on the older card(2016), then i fitted them both with waterblocks, go figure  
7, see number 3
 
 
 
 

pegnose
No. The most important part is the PAD MOD. The bios is just on top and also let's you run the graphics chip cooler (for more noise in exchange), but you can achieve the same thing with a custom fan curve. The pads are what gives you the ACTUAL SAFETY for your hardware, as not the GPU itself was running too hot under unfortunate conditions in those reviews.
 
Yeah, you can RMA the stuff, but that takes _time_.
 
You are covered for 3 years. Which is ok. But even if your card goes up in flame, EVGA won't let you register for the increased 5 year warranty period (for 25,- Euros) any more with the replacement card. Because you didn't do this in the first 90 day. Because you thought: if EVGA is so generous with warranty periods, then those cards probably will work forever. Haha. Not.

if your card does appear in https://www.evga.com/thermalmod/  then i understand why you say you don't have to do it flash the bios, but then if it's recommended action by EVGA you should do it, like i said one of the differences with the one that needed the thermal mod, they have different BIOS chips to the 2017 model,
 
WOT? try reading what i have typed, you don't have too have an increased warranty time from EVGA, if say it's a manufacturing defect that may have caused your card to explode, it would be a different situation warranty wise than say regarding you sticking a screwdriver into the middle of it, a lifetime warranty period lol give it 2 years and i'm sure i'll not be sitting with my 1080s they will be well sold on.
 
While i understand your frustration with your problem, a recommended action should be followed even if just as simple as a bios flash. both my cards are on EKblocks now but my first card was identified as need the thermal mod and bios while the aCX was still attached, did i follow EVGAs instructions HELL YEA i did! be stupid not too, would you not agree?
 
and if you've not registered your expensive card within 3 months then you got more money than sense or you've gone on holiday to Outer Mongolia with no net connection
 
hope that makes some sense 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

pegnose
Sorry mate, but YOU obviously don't read what I write.
 
Did you read the review by Tom's Hardware, I linked? If not, let's not talk any further. It is a waste of both our time. If yes, you clearly see that the new thermal pads are ABSOLUTELY sufficient for keeping your card's VRMs and VRAM cool enough. And it is the safer (fool-proof) method. And it is more quiet. And you can select a more aggressive fan curve yourself.
 
Your "recommended action" serves to save time and money for EVGA by not sending out thermal pads, where they actually should have done a complete product recall. Because THEY messed up their cards.
 
Also, those cards (pre 11/16, post 11/16) have different BIOSes. Whether the bios chips themselves are different, is absolutely irrelevant. What are you talking about, man?
 
Then I never wrote that you need extended warranty for an RMA.
 
And finally: what do I care whether your cards are water-blocked now (so they should be cool enough now with or without any modifications/updates; how does this relate to the topic?) or whatever. And whether you are stupid... I think only you can answer that question. Hell yeah.
 
Keep on trolling...
 
 
PS: A recommended action has to be followed! Yes sir, always, sir!

sorry that you feel i am trolling your post, i had no intention of doing so, and had no intention of making a new member such as yourself angrier than you were to start with 
 
Be Well 

My replacement card finally arrived. The fan limits are different. Now on the Slave BIOS the lower limit is 20 % (vs. 15 % for my other card with the upgrade BIOS from the thermal mod), while on 100% it runs ~500 rpm slower.
 
EVGA, why the heck would you do a thing like this. The lower limit might not be so crucial, but the upper limit?! Now running both cards at max sounds kind of terrible. I am so FED UP with you not caring about the customers. Give people choices, man. Not this crap. -.-

I must say: from EVGA side that was really quick. One day response time in-house.
 
I'll have to check on the primary bios.
 
Before flashing anything again, however, I'd like to at least have a statement about this from an EVGA half-official. I mean, you said that also the bios chips have been changed. I don't want to brick anything, right? Also, I'd like to retain a copy of this new bios, just in case. Once it's gone, it's gone.
 
EDIT. Yes, on Primary the limits are still identical.
 
BTW., I am not worried about anything. It is just that two sets of fans running slightly different speeds do not sound very smooth.