What I have noticed with the higher temp TDP cards over the past decade. After a card has been roasting near max temp folding or gaming, the paste creeps out and is not as conductive to the sink anymore. The newer 960 cards are a bit longer in the tooth for changing it from every two years to probably three or more. It's about the volume of heat changed out. The 960 sink can absorb more heat and get it out faster which I found running even pig huge thermal loads is better. The 960 puts out less heat per square mm of package than ever before. So it's going to last longer if the cooling is there.

However, making the fan quiet sets the basic kick on temp to about 55-60 C and that can flex the sink a bit more over time. So it's a conundrum, quiet and hot with more part fatigue for forced upgrading, or cool-noisy and longer time between part changes ignoring the need to upgrade every 18 months.