GPU crashes under load after cooler swap

[WolfRamAlpha12]

Hi,

 

I'm swapped the cooler on my MSI 1080ti with a Kraken G12, using an Asetek 12mm aio for the die. The system booted fine, temps were pretty close to ambient as well under no load. So I ran Unigine Heaven to stability and stress test it and it started stuttering right off the bat. Under event viewer it showed "nvlddmkm stopped responding".

 

I was able to run a light game like Overwatch just fine at 144 FPS, but I booted up Just Cause 3, and it too crashed right out of the gate with message "dxgi device removed". I monitored the temps using both After burner and GPU-Z, no spikes over 45 C.

 

Now, I tried to do my best to clear off the old Paste from near the die, attached is the best I could manage after 15 minutes of rubbing with isopropyl and a microfiber cloth. But I watched this Video from LTT and Linus mentions it shouldn't that much of an issue on GPUs.

 

I guess my troubleshooting steps will be to reinstall drivers, check for any bridged contacts and try to clear that goop out. Any other suggestions?

 

Regards

A sleep deprived guy whos going to bed now but will follow your advice in 8-10 hours, cheers