Help with GPU sagging (really weird problem)

[SaladFingers]

So I've had an MSI GTX 1080 for about a year now, and it's been sagging more and more lately. With my older card, I used some zip ties to "hang" it on its right side so it would always stay level. I've also tried supporting it from bellow, pushing it upwards.

 

Here comes the (not so) fun part. This thing just doesn't like any kind of "un-bending" at all. If I even slightly push it from bellow at its right edge, the temperatures go up by around 15 degrees almost immediately. Tried a zip tie from a heatsink on the side, same story. My thoughts on this is that the heatsink it's using is longer than most cards and so by pushing it upwards I'm creating a gap at around the middle of the card and the heatsink "un-sticks" from the dye. Never had any other cards that did that.

 

Long story short, anyone has any ideas? Not only I'm starting to get OCD attacks from the thing bending, but it also seems to be getting worse and worse to the point that I'm worried about the longetivity of the card itself. Please help!

[Damascus]

get an arctic accellero.  the 2 fan model should be fine but the triple fan triple slot monsters are very good

[Damascus]

Oh and the AIO ones are very good as well

[SaladFingers]

3 minutes ago, Damascus said:

get an arctic accellero.  the 2 fan model should be fine but the triple fan triple slot monsters are very good

I like the stock look of this card and I'm quite happy with the cooling performance. Is there anything else I could try before taking apart the card? 

[Biggerboot]

Letting it sag would be better than using zip ties to level it, but I've seen some fixes that involve having the card sit on a level surface, or using extension cables.  Basically modding your case.  If you don't want to put that kind of work in though, then look at replacing the cooler.

[SaladFingers]

1 minute ago, Biggerboot said:

Letting it sag would be better than using zip ties to level it

 

What do you mean by that? Let it sag the other way?

[Shiv78]

OP- are you comfortable taking off and repasting the cooler/heatsink

[Damascus]

2 minutes ago, SaladFingers said:

I like the stock look of this card and I'm quite happy with the cooling performance. Is there anything else I could try before taking apart the card? 

two options

Option A:

get a professionally made high grade support

https://mnpctech.com/gpu-support-bracket/mnpctech-single-gtx-1080-ti-gpu-support-bracket-non-reference-black.html

 

Option B:

Get a riser + 120mm gpu fan mount and go vertical, eliminating all sag.

https://mnpctech.com/case-mods-gaming-pc-liquid-modding-custom-computer-mnpctech-overclock-cooling-fan-grills/mnpctech-stage-2-vertical-video-card-gpu-mounting-bracket-black.html

[Biggerboot]

5 minutes ago, SaladFingers said:

 

What do you mean by that? Let it sag the other way?

Letting it sag however gravity wants it to (if I'm understanding the situation).  It's not going to damage the card.

 

There are also some GPU braces you could take a look at, but I can't personally vouch for them.  I would say if you're gonna do it then do it right.  But it should be better than your current fix.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Graphics-Support-Holder-custom-Gaming/dp/B01DQK7DDW/ref=pd_sim_147_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JBBGYW1CSMH4WQ0FJH9V  

[SaladFingers]

24 minutes ago, Shiv78 said:

OP- are you comfortable taking off and repasting the cooler/heatsink

For sure, I just can't see how that would help since if I jsut let the card sit without adding any pressure it works just fine. So re-seating the heatsink most likely won't change anything right?

 

23 minutes ago, Damascus said:

two options

Option A:

get a professionally made high grade support

https://mnpctech.com/gpu-support-bracket/mnpctech-single-gtx-1080-ti-gpu-support-bracket-non-reference-black.html

 

Option B:

Get a riser + 120mm gpu fan mount and go vertical, eliminating all sag.

https://mnpctech.com/case-mods-gaming-pc-liquid-modding-custom-computer-mnpctech-overclock-cooling-fan-grills/mnpctech-stage-2-vertical-video-card-gpu-mounting-bracket-black.html

But this is the problem: If I use any of those options, the card will overheat. Even slightly pushing it with my finger and it overheats. I know how to deal with sagging cards usually, have used both support brackets and DIY solutions. The problem is this card doesn't seem to want to go back to being straight without losing its thermal performance.

 

22 minutes ago, Biggerboot said:

Letting it sag however gravity wants it to (if I'm understanding the situation).  It's not going to damage the card.

 

There are also some GPU braces you could take a look at, but I can't personally vouch for them.  I would say if you're gonna do it then do it right.  But it should be better than your current fix.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Graphics-Support-Holder-custom-Gaming/dp/B01DQK7DDW/ref=pd_sim_147_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JBBGYW1CSMH4WQ0FJH9V  

I know it won't damage it but I don't want to end up with a seriously bent card. And the aesthetics alone are driving me nuts! As for the braces, again, that's where my problem lies: Anything I try to use as support will make the card overheat  There is no "current fix" by the way, it's just hanging there.

[Damascus]

1 minute ago, SaladFingers said:

any of those options

Even option 2?  Mounting vertically should eliminate sag as you no longer have gravity dragging it down.  This honestly sounds like an RMA to me

[SaladFingers]

1 minute ago, Damascus said:

Even option 2?  Mounting vertically should eliminate sag as you no longer have gravity dragging it down.  This honestly sounds like an RMA to me

Sorry, I thought that was a support bracket. Well, that wouldn't really be an option for me as I want it mounted horizontally as regular. It just baffles me how straightening the card creates such a thermal issue.

[Damascus]

try reseating it and if that doesn't work RMA

 

[SaladFingers]

Just now, Damascus said:

try reseating it and if that doesn't work RMA

 

Re-seated it several times, didn't help  The card itself is bent now, removing it from the case and laying it down on a flat surface is not a great sight  It's itching me to just remove the heatsink, force it back into being straight, then re-attach. But I don't want to risk a 1080 meh.

[Damascus]

RMA

[SaladFingers]

Just now, Damascus said:

RMA

I can't deal with that!!! Haha... We'll see. I might just go for an AIO in the end of the day, and just keep the stock heatsink for resale.

[Shiv78]

30 minutes ago, SaladFingers said:

Re-seated it several times, didn't help  The card itself is bent now, removing it from the case and laying it down on a flat surface is not a great sight  It's itching me to just remove the heatsink, force it back into being straight, then re-attach. But I don't want to risk a 1080 meh.

Take off the heatsink (just the metal part with heatpipes and fins, remove the shroud and fans if you can) and see if it lays flat. If it doesn't, make it flat. Once the heatsink is flat, if you make/get a support bracket the card's PCB should stay/become flat

[H0R53]

2 hours ago, SaladFingers said:

So I've had an MSI GTX 1080 for about a year now, and it's been sagging more and more lately. With my older card, I used some zip ties to "hang" it on its right side so it would always stay level. I've also tried supporting it from bellow, pushing it upwards.

 

Here comes the (not so) fun part. This thing just doesn't like any kind of "un-bending" at all. If I even slightly push it from bellow at its right edge, the temperatures go up by around 15 degrees almost immediately. Tried a zip tie from a heatsink on the side, same story. My thoughts on this is that the heatsink it's using is longer than most cards and so by pushing it upwards I'm creating a gap at around the middle of the card and the heatsink "un-sticks" from the dye. Never had any other cards that did that.

 

Long story short, anyone has any ideas? Not only I'm starting to get OCD attacks from the thing bending, but it also seems to be getting worse and worse to the point that I'm worried about the longetivity of the card itself. Please help!

Turn your computer upside down so it can unsag itself over time

[SaladFingers]

50 minutes ago, Shiv78 said:

Take off the heatsink (just the metal part with heatpipes and fins, remove the shroud and fans if you can) and see if it lays flat. If it doesn't, make it flat. Once the heatsink is flat, if you make/get a support bracket the card's PCB should stay/become flat

Yeah I've been thinking about doing that, I'm just a little scared. I'd also need to do that for the back-plate as well. Is copper soft enough to be able to take it? I would hate it if it cracked.

[Shiv78]

31 minutes ago, H0R53 said:

Turn your computer upside down so it can unsag itself over time

A lot of cases wouldn't be able to do this... stuff inside could fall/break/come loose...

[H0R53]

41 minutes ago, SaladFingers said:

Yeah I've been thinking about doing that, I'm just a little scared. I'd also need to do that for the back-plate as well. Is copper soft enough to be able to take it? I would hate it if it cracked.

Yeah, should be fine, I can bend copper with just my pinky fingers.

17 minutes ago, Shiv78 said:

A lot of cases wouldn't be able to do this... stuff inside could fall/break/come loose...

Wrong. If it's strong enough to hold it right side up then it can hold it upside down. Because physics.

[Shiv78]

8 minutes ago, H0R53 said:

Wrong. If it's strong enough to hold it right side up then it can hold it upside down. Because physics.

Actually, no. Things like these Phanteks HDD brackets use gravity to stay in place.

 

Don't try and insult my intelligence, and don't bring your so-called 'physics' into it because there are a lot of things, including and also outside of the PC world, that don't work upside down.

[H0R53]

Just now, Shiv78 said:

Actually, no. Things like these Phanteks HDD brackets use gravity to stay in place.

 

Don't try and insult my intelligence, and don't bring your so-called 'physics' into it because there are a lot of things, including and also outside of the PC world, that don't work upside down.

THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF USING IT IF IT DOESN'T WORK UPSIDE DOWN WTF WHO MAKES SHIT LIKE THAT

 

Literally everything I own works fine upside down.

 

Phanteks can't make products that work upside down? Jeez what a rip off

[H0R53]

1 minute ago, Shiv78 said:

Don't try and insult my intelligence, and don't bring your so-called 'physics

Back off with your sudden hostility. Jeez you're so touchy

[Shiv78]

Just now, H0R53 said:

Literally everything I own works fine upside down.

 

car? household plumbing? custom water loops (sometimes)? potted plants?