Thinking about swapping thermal pads for better performance? I was, and I did, but it was not what I expected. It has left me with more questions than answers. I am hoping that there are some knowledgeable folks out there that can offer sound guidance for others, myself included. I do not know the thermal pad specs that come on EVGA cards (3080, 3090) but there are better options, apparently, from what I've read. I'd like a better understanding on how to determine what pads best fit the application. Keeping compression in mind, how do you choose the correct thickness?
 
Example:
 
1mm Stock pads (in general.. not necessarily evga pads)
Thermal conductivity: 3.5 W/mk
Hardness: 5 Shore A
 
1mm Gelid Extreme pads
Thermal conductivity: 12 W/mk
Hardness: 35 OO
 
1) Would you get better performance buying the Gelids?
2) Gelids are softer pads. Would you purchase 1mm or 1.5mm pads, or a different size?
3) Assuming there is no error in installation and mounting, would you expect cooler temps using the Gelid pads?
 
The answer I prefer not to hear is if its not broke (cough.. high thermal junction) don't bother fixing it. The example I used is not unique to me, meaning this is not what I did. Just a potential purchase.

What card are you looking for?  I have the thermal pad dimensions.

EVGATech_LeeM
What card are you looking for?  I have the thermal pad dimensions.

To somewhat hijack - would you mind sending me the pad dimensions for a 3090 FTW3 Hybrid kit? I asked twice, but didn't get them (but did get free replacement pads for the stock air cooler should I need to RMA).

EVGATech_LeeM
What card are you looking for?  I have the thermal pad dimensions.

I appreciate you reaching out. I have a 3080 FTW3 Ultra with a Hybrid Kit. The kit comes with pre-applied pads, 2mm (and please correct me if i am wrong) on the copper plate for vram, the fan shroud with 2mm pads for the mosfets and 1mm pads for the chokes. These pads are very soft and get good compression.
 
I also do not know the size on the stock ftw3 cooler. Any way I could get replacement sets for each so I don't have to chance it on aftermarket pads?
 
The main point of my post was that most people that want to swap out for better thermal pads, buy whatever size that comes stock, but do not take into consideration the hardness of the aftermarket pads they are buying. Just because pads may offer better conductivity does not mean they will perform better if they are not getting the coverage or compression that is needed. Another question: How sensitive would a metric like thermal junction be to a temperature difference of + 2-3º ambient? If a card is not throttling at 19ºC ambient, but is now at 22ºC, it is the change in room temp or how the card is being cooled, maybe the better thermal pads are not doing the job as intended?

1) After reading other people's experiences with replacing thermal pads/putty on these cards, I wouldn't do it. Far too many people have seen no thermal improvement and many have actually seen worse thermal performance due to contact pressure issues. Some have spent weeks testing, tweaking, and buying different products just trying to get there temperatures back to what they were stock.
2) The way pads and thermal paste are thermally characterized is not standardized. The testing temperature is not standardized, and this has a huge impact of the W/mk result. Some are tested at 20c. Some are tested at 60c. The difference in W/mk result is massive when tested at different temperatures. This makes the W/mk comparison useless when making buying choices. Since you can't compare pads based on W/mk, it means you would have to buy a bunch of different ones and compare them by physically testing them. A lot of time and expense for a tiny difference in thermal performance (in the grand scheme of things). Not worth it.

ty_ger07
1) After reading other people's experiences, I wouldn't do it. Far too many people have seen no thermal improvement and many have actually seen worse thermal performance due to contact pressure issues.
2) The way pads and thermal paste are thermally characterized is not standardized. The testing temperature is not standardized, and this has a huge impact of the W/mk result. Some are tested at 20c. Some are tested at 60c. The difference in W/mk result is massive when tested at different temperatures. This makes the W/mk comparison useless when making buying choices. Since you can't compare pads based on W/mk, it means you would have to buy a bunch of different ones and compare them by physically testing them. A lot of time and expense for a tiny difference in thermal performance (in the grand scheme of things). Not worth it.

I starting to believe that it is just not worth it. I cannot discredit a lot of people that have posted about better thermals through just swapping out pads and paste. There are multiple variables to consider that not everyone may realize or think to disclose. Some may just get lucky. Maybe these hybrid kits are sensitive to different pads.

2nd hijacker here... can I get thermal pad dimensions for a 3080 ftw3 ultra?

I want the thermal pad dimensions for 3090 FTW3 ULTRA GAMING. I'm thinking to replace it. Especially for the pad between the backplate and the VRAM. 

EVGATech_LeeM
What card are you looking for?  I have the thermal pad dimensions.

If your product is registered - please submit a support ticket. 

quote=skyline090]

EVGATech_LeeM
What card are you looking for?  I have the thermal pad dimensions.

I appreciate you reaching out. I have a 3080 FTW3 Ultra with a Hybrid Kit. The kit comes with pre-applied pads, 2mm (and please correct me if i am wrong) on the copper plate for vram, the fan shroud with 2mm pads for the mosfets and 1mm pads for the chokes. These pads are very soft and get good compression.
 
I also do not know the size on the stock ftw3 cooler. Any way I could get replacement sets for each so I don't have to chance it on aftermarket pads?
 
The main point of my post was that most people that want to swap out for better thermal pads, buy whatever size that comes stock, but do not take into consideration the hardness of the aftermarket pads they are buying. Just because pads may offer better conductivity does not mean they will perform better if they are not getting the coverage or compression that is needed. Another question: How sensitive would a metric like thermal junction be to a temperature difference of + 2-3º ambient? If a card is not throttling at 19ºC ambient, but is now at 22ºC, it is the change in room temp or how the card is being cooled, maybe the better thermal pads are not doing the job as intended?


What evga support sent me when I created a ticket for my 3080 FTW3 Ultra: