Is this a bad thermal interface contact?

[PowerBaller]

The card is a 2080 TI FTW3, the block is the Hydro Copper.

With the stock cooler prior to the modding, running a heaven benchmark will only peaks at around 55 degree, stock clock speed.

After installing the water block, the GPU temp can cook up to 85 during the same benchmark, while the VRM 's temp looks right for a water cooled card.

When dismantle, the spread pattern looks like this. 

[Skiiwee29]

ummm yes thats bad contact...

[Sharif]

Seems like there might be way too much on it

[For Science!]

Bad mounting or bad mounting pressure, something is very wrong here.

[MartinKweh]

not enough pressure.

[Mark Kaine]

This basically means it doesn't fit.  

Hard to say why,  might be those metal frames surrounding,  but it definitely just doesn't fit. 

 

And that's way too much thermal paste. 

 

 

Can you post pics with everything mounted, from different angles and such? 

 

 

But it's just very obvious to me there isn't *any* contact. 

 

You might need to remove something   but first I'd need to see this mounted.

[PowerBaller]

28 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

This basically means it doesn't fit.  

Hard to say why,  might be those metal frames surrounding,  but it definitely just doesn't fit. 

 

And that's way too much thermal paste. 

 

 

Can you post pics with everything mounted, from different angles and such? 

 

 

But it's just very obvious to me there isn't *any* contact. 

 

You might need to remove something   but first I'd need to see this mounted.

 

[PowerBaller]

29 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

This basically means it doesn't fit.  

Hard to say why,  might be those metal frames surrounding,  but it definitely just doesn't fit. 

 

And that's way too much thermal paste. 

 

 

Can you post pics with everything mounted, from different angles and such? 

 

 

But it's just very obvious to me there isn't *any* contact. 

 

You might need to remove something   but first I'd need to see this mounted.

Some others in the EVGA community have similar issues too. Should have brought the EK vector 

[For Science!]

7 minutes ago, PowerBaller said:

Some others in the EVGA community have similar issues too. Should have brought the EK vector 

if you had any photos of inbetween the installation, this would be more useful since these things are usually caused by a misplaced thermal pad and/or incorrect screw. Alternatively just clamping down on the screws may also help.

[For Science!]

Not the same GPU, but still relevant. Here are some examples of decent contact, the TM should be pretty much completely squeezed out. EVGA warns about overtightening, but generally I do clamp on the screws about the die fairly tightly.

 

 

Before installation:

[PowerBaller]

1 hour ago, For Science! said:

Not the same GPU, but still relevant. Here are some examples of decent contact, the TM should be pretty much completely squeezed out. EVGA warns about overtightening, but generally I do clamp on the screws about the die fairly tightly.

 

 

Before installation:

Is this good for a 2080 ti ftw3?

[PowerBaller]

2 hours ago, For Science! said:

Not the same GPU, but still relevant. Here are some examples of decent contact, the TM should be pretty much completely squeezed out. EVGA warns about overtightening, but generally I do clamp on the screws about the die fairly tightly.

 

 

Before installation:

Well i supertight but not overtight the screw around the gpu. Now the temp peaks at 51.

Guess even though EVGA support tells me to loose it a bit if overtight, they analyze the situation the wrong way

[For Science!]

7 hours ago, PowerBaller said:

Well i supertight but not overtight the screw around the gpu. Now the temp peaks at 51.

Guess even though EVGA support tells me to loose it a bit if overtight, they analyze the situation the wrong way

Good to hear it was just a pressure problem. Enjoy your low temperatures

[PowerBaller]

21 hours ago, For Science! said:

Good to hear it was just a pressure problem. Enjoy your low temperatures

it isnt good enough for a full cover water block though, full load benchmark still hits 65. Guess i am regretting not buying an EK

[MiniMike DK]

Looks to me like the waterblock isn't/wasn't mounted completely flat on the GPU.

If you look at the thermal pads on either side of the GPU, you can clearly see the difference in how much pressure is/was placed on the thermal pads.

Left is good. Right and top is bad. They should be equal.

When tightening the screw on the waterblock, do it in a star pattern a little at a time. This is important if you want the mounting pressure to be even.

 

 

[AnonymousGuy]

I agree with the above, make sure you're tightening each screw gently at first before dancing around and tightening in sequence.  If you crank down each one individually then you may squeeze the PCB into a non-flat shape and get shitty mounting pressure.  It's possible that they didn't machine the standoffs accurately but I dunno how likely that really is with everything being CNC nowadays.

[MiniMike DK]

29 minutes ago, AnonymousGuy said:

I agree with the above, make sure you're tightening each screw gently at first before dancing around and tightening in sequence.  If you crank down each one individually then you may squeeze the PCB into a non-flat shape and get shitty mounting pressure.  It's possible that they didn't machine the standoffs accurately but I dunno how likely that really is with everything being CNC nowadays.

I actually filed the standoffs down a little, to make sure it made proper contact. about 0,5-1,0mm.