XFX 5700XT Thicc III Teardown and Thermal Paste Reapplication.

[SamtheMan101]

After owning the XFX 5700XT Thicc III for over 3 years nows, and with the warranty period over, I became curious on replacing the stock thermal paste which had probably outlived its use. This post is just a show of sorts to anyone who is interested, and I’m happy to report I have reduced thermals by 10-12 degrees when running tests like Unigine Heaven, 3D Mark etc. 

 

my junction temps before were around the 80-85, with the new thermal paste, maxing out at 72-73 on a 1800 under-clock with low noise fans. I’m still tweaking the settings and hope to increase my fps without sacrificing visuals. 
 

I also plan to watercool the XFX Thicc III at a later date, and try that for a change, as a search online looks like its a rare occurrence. It’ll be my first time watercooling but I’ve always wanted to try it.

[jaslion]

Not 100% sure but as far as I remember the thicc III 5700 is not a card that is compatible with waterblocks. There is a version that is but also a version that isn't.

[SamtheMan101]

10 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Not 100% sure but as far as I remember the thicc III 5700 is not a card that is compatible with waterblocks. There is a version that is but also a version that isn't.

Correct. However aquatuning seem to have a waterblock that is labelled as compatible with the Thicc 2 and Thicc 3. No reply yet on the email I sent them to confirm this. 
 

this is the water block I refer to : https://www.au.aquatuning.com/water-cooling/gpu-water-blocks/gpu-full-cover/fullsize/25912/alphacool-eisblock-aurora-acryl-gpx-a-radeon-rx-5700-xt-thicc-ii/iii

 

[Bitter]

AS isn't the best compound for graphics cards, it can be conductive/capacitive and with all the little SMD's near the core that's kind of risky.

Also, you left the chrome plastic airflow blockers in place? Are they required to hold the fans? It sure looks like removing those decorations would aid in airflow out of the fin stacks to the sides of the card.

[jaslion]

2 minutes ago, Bitter said:

AS isn't the best compound for graphics cards, it can be conductive/capacitive and with all the little SMD's near the core that's kind of risky.

Also, you left the chrome plastic airflow blockers in place? Are they required to hold the fans? It sure looks like removing those decorations would aid in airflow out of the fin stacks to the sides of the card.

The backplate is mounted to it. So you can't remove the decorations. It is one of the reasons the thicc coolers aren't well good.

[SamtheMan101]

1 minute ago, Bitter said:

AS isn't the best compound for graphics cards, it can be conductive/capacitive and with all the little SMD's near the core that's kind of risky.

Also, you left the chrome plastic airflow blockers in place? Are they required to hold the fans? It sure looks like removing those decorations would aid in airflow out of the fin stacks to the sides of the card.

 

Yes. Its the only thermal paste I had lying around when I realised I had removed the backplate to the PCB. It was around 8pm here so no choice but to use this for now. I plan to use something stronger that is recommended for GPUs but in the meantime its a temporary solution. Also yet almost none of the plastic bits can be removed according to my inspection without interfering with the backplate, actual heatsinks etc. I tried removing the fans and directly placing them on the heatsink itself but the mounting points are directly atttached to the plastic parts themselves. Wish XFX did not do this.

[SamtheMan101]

1 minute ago, jaslion said:

The backplate is mounted to it. So you can't remove the decorations. It is one of the reasons the thicc coolers aren't well good.

Backplate can be removed but only for watercooling as far as I know. IF i remove the plastic parts the back plate can be reinstalled with the waterblock as the new mounting points. Also, what decorations are you talking about?

[SamtheMan101]

This was the only video I could get of a 5700xt THICC III watercooled. Do keep in mind the actual waterblock is some sort of cheap chinese brand Byksi or you can get it from Aliexpress. Mines ordered from aquatuning / alphacool.

 

 

7:10 mark

 

[Bitter]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:11 AM, SamtheMan101 said:

 

Yes. Its the only thermal paste I had lying around when I realised I had removed the backplate to the PCB. It was around 8pm here so no choice but to use this for now. I plan to use something stronger that is recommended for GPUs but in the meantime its a temporary solution. Also yet almost none of the plastic bits can be removed according to my inspection without interfering with the backplate, actual heatsinks etc. I tried removing the fans and directly placing them on the heatsink itself but the mounting points are directly atttached to the plastic parts themselves. Wish XFX did not do this.

I've been there, use what you've got.

Hmm I'm a little more adventurous, I'd have trimmed the parts or swapped them for some nuts and plastic washers if I could figure out the size. It's not a bad cooler, it's just locked up in a plastic cage.

[SamtheMan101]

15 hours ago, Bitter said:

I've been there, use what you've got.

Hmm I'm a little more adventurous, I'd have trimmed the parts or swapped them for some nuts and plastic washers if I could figure out the size. It's not a bad cooler, it's just locked up in a plastic cage.

Right now no other GPU to fall back on during this pandemic and short supply. Hesistant to grind etc if I miss and hit the pcb or something important, no choice but to wait it out for months for another GPU. Unfortunately my desktop is also my work station so can't risk it lol

[Bitter]

8 hours ago, SamtheMan101 said:

Right now no other GPU to fall back on during this pandemic and short supply. Hesistant to grind etc if I miss and hit the pcb or something important, no choice but to wait it out for months for another GPU. Unfortunately my desktop is also my work station so can't risk it lol

I guess I wasn't clear, take the plastic off, cut away the parts that aren't essential for holding things, then reinstall them. I wouldn't take a dremel to the card with the decorations installed either! Good enough for now is good enough for now. I could do some trimming on one of my cards to possibly marginally improve thermals but they're good enough and I enjoy it's aesthetic.

[Berenost]

I read up in this post that the Bykski block was cheap. I am currently using said block and can report that this is not the case. Bykski is gaining traction here in the west, but has been a rather large company in the east for quite a while now. I can report that under load, with modest overclock and custom full loop, in games like No Man's Sky, Grand Theft Auto 5, ARK: SE, Tera Online, on HIGH graphics settings, at 4k resolution, i see temps average out around 75C on the gpu at around 75-80 fps. Coolant temps ~41C.

(All links below point to said items.)

Complete Build:

Spoiler

 

CASE: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ARGB

MOBO: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WIFI)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

RAM: 4x8gb G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series 3200mhz cl16

GPU: XFX Radeon RX 5700XT 8gb Thicc III

PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 G2

NVME: 2x Western Digital SN750 1tb

HDD: 2x Western Digital Black 4tb@7200rpm

 

COOLING:

CPU: EK-Quantum Velocity D-RGB - AMD Nickel + Plexi

GPU: Bykski A-XF5700XTBW-X Full Cover Water Block

FITTINGS: EK-Quantum Torque 6-Pack STC 10/16 - Black, plus various others like 90 degree bends, g1/4 plugs, drain plugs, etc.

PUMP/RESERVOIR: EK-Quantum Kinetic FLT 120 D5 PWM D-RGB - Plexi

TUBING: EK-DuraClear 9,5/15,9mm 3M

THERMAL PASTE: Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut thermal grease / + Pads

COOLANT: EK-CryoFuel Clear

RADIATORS:

2x EK-CoolStream CE 280 (Dual)

1x EK-CoolStream SE 120 (Slim Single)
FANS:

4x MASTERFAN MF200R ARGB (2x Push in front, 2x Pull on top)

4x SICKLEFLOW 140 ARGB (2x Pull in front, 2x Push on top)

1x SICKLEFLOW 120 ARGB (Push in rear)

 

 

[SamtheMan101]

12 hours ago, Berenost said:

I read up in this post that the Bykski block was cheap. I am currently using said block and can report that this is not the case. Bykski is gaining traction here in the west, but has been a rather large company in the east for quite a while now. I can report that under load, with modest overclock and custom full loop, in games like No Man's Sky, Grand Theft Auto 5, ARK: SE, Tera Online, on HIGH graphics settings, at 4k resolution, i see temps average out around 75C on the gpu at around 75-80 fps. Coolant temps ~41C.

(All links below point to said items.)

Complete Build:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

CASE: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ARGB

MOBO: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WIFI)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

RAM: 4x8gb G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series 3200mhz cl16

GPU: XFX Radeon RX 5700XT 8gb Thicc III

PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 G2

NVME: 2x Western Digital SN750 1tb

HDD: 2x Western Digital Black 4tb@7200rpm

 

COOLING:

CPU: EK-Quantum Velocity D-RGB - AMD Nickel + Plexi

GPU: Bykski A-XF5700XTBW-X Full Cover Water Block

FITTINGS: EK-Quantum Torque 6-Pack STC 10/16 - Black, plus various others like 90 degree bends, g1/4 plugs, drain plugs, etc.

PUMP/RESERVOIR: EK-Quantum Kinetic FLT 120 D5 PWM D-RGB - Plexi

TUBING: EK-DuraClear 9,5/15,9mm 3M

THERMAL PASTE: Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut thermal grease / + Pads

COOLANT: EK-CryoFuel Clear

RADIATORS:

2x EK-CoolStream CE 280 (Dual)

1x EK-CoolStream SE 120 (Slim Single)
FANS:

4x MASTERFAN MF200R ARGB (2x Push in front, 2x Pull on top)

4x SICKLEFLOW 140 ARGB (2x Pull in front, 2x Push on top)

1x SICKLEFLOW 120 ARGB (Push in rear)

 

 

Hey Berenost. First time I see someone using an actual block for the 5700xt. How did you find mounting and positioning for the XFX THICC III in terms of compatibility? Did you find any issues I should be aware of? Also, those temps sound good, but my monitor is 1440p, and I don't tend to play at 4k so temps in theory should be a little lower for me. Full custom loop will only be for the GPU itself using EK gear with either a 360 or 240/280 mm depending on the configuration in my Lian Li 011 dynamic mini. Thanks for the input. The water block I was looking at is the alpha cool one. I suppose both are the same, so no idea if there's a difference in quality / thermals / performance. Here's the block I refer to https://www.au.aquatuning.com/water-cooling/gpu-water-blocks/gpu-full-cover/fullsize/25912/alphacool-eisblock-aurora-acryl-gpx-a-radeon-rx-5700-xt-thicc-ii/iii

[Tr1llW1ll]

On 5/27/2021 at 1:48 PM, Berenost said:

I read up in this post that the Bykski block was cheap. I am currently using said block and can report that this is not the case. Bykski is gaining traction here in the west, but has been a rather large company in the east for quite a while now. I can report that under load, with modest overclock and custom full loop, in games like No Man's Sky, Grand Theft Auto 5, ARK: SE, Tera Online, on HIGH graphics settings, at 4k resolution, i see temps average out around 75C on the gpu at around 75-80 fps. Coolant temps ~41C.

(All links below point to said items.)

Complete Build:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

CASE: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ARGB

MOBO: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WIFI)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

RAM: 4x8gb G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series 3200mhz cl16

GPU: XFX Radeon RX 5700XT 8gb Thicc III

PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 G2

NVME: 2x Western Digital SN750 1tb

HDD: 2x Western Digital Black 4tb@7200rpm

 

COOLING:

CPU: EK-Quantum Velocity D-RGB - AMD Nickel + Plexi

GPU: Bykski A-XF5700XTBW-X Full Cover Water Block

FITTINGS: EK-Quantum Torque 6-Pack STC 10/16 - Black, plus various others like 90 degree bends, g1/4 plugs, drain plugs, etc.

PUMP/RESERVOIR: EK-Quantum Kinetic FLT 120 D5 PWM D-RGB - Plexi

TUBING: EK-DuraClear 9,5/15,9mm 3M

THERMAL PASTE: Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut thermal grease / + Pads

COOLANT: EK-CryoFuel Clear

RADIATORS:

2x EK-CoolStream CE 280 (Dual)

1x EK-CoolStream SE 120 (Slim Single)
FANS:

4x MASTERFAN MF200R ARGB (2x Push in front, 2x Pull on top)

4x SICKLEFLOW 140 ARGB (2x Pull in front, 2x Push on top)

1x SICKLEFLOW 120 ARGB (Push in rear)

 

 

Nice to see someone in the west reply about this block. I've wanted to watercool my card as well but around the time I considered it the chip shortage started and I couldn't drop the cash on a full loop with some verification of if the block would work or not.
From my research I came to the same conclusion that you did and found that Bykski was just an unknown/new brand in the west for water cooling but were putting out quality stuff just mostly in Asia and Europe.

I also heavily looked into the Alphacool block but ran into the issue that it never seemed to be in stock at a vendor who ships to the US at a reasonable price or at all. Alphacool also sells a matching back plate for the block too but seemed if I was able to find the block at a vendor I they'd be out of stock of the back plate.

Hopefully once prices come down on chips I can put together a loop as I still use and don't really plan on replacing my thicc III for another couple years.

[Tr1llW1ll]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:10 AM, jaslion said:

The backplate is mounted to it. So you can't remove the decorations. It is one of the reasons the thicc coolers aren't well good.

You can remove the decorations. If you notice along the edges there are screws that will remove the plastic rails and the "grill" on the back of the card can also be removed with a few screws once the shroud is separated from the card.

[Lampshady86]

Hey man! Thanks for the info but I was curious if you happen to remember what thickness of thermal pads you used? I emailed XFX to ask but they told me they don't get that information from the factory. I'm the same as you as in this is my only card so I don't really want to take it apart more than I have to. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[SamtheMan101]

On 3/14/2022 at 11:36 PM, Lampshady86 said:

Hey man! Thanks for the info but I was curious if you happen to remember what thickness of thermal pads you used? I emailed XFX to ask but they told me they don't get that information from the factory. I'm the same as you as in this is my only card so I don't really want to take it apart more than I have to. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

Hey. Thermals pads came with the water-block itself from Alpha-cool. Other than that I too am not sure on thickness.

[SamtheMan101]

On 3/14/2022 at 11:36 PM, Lampshady86 said:

Hey man! Thanks for the info but I was curious if you happen to remember what thickness of thermal pads you used? I emailed XFX to ask but they told me they don't get that information from the factory. I'm the same as you as in this is my only card so I don't really want to take it apart more than I have to. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

if your still interested, The thermal pads are 2 mm for the VRMs and 1 mm for the memory,

 

[Rater0]

I know it's an old thread, but do you still remember what the thickness of the thermal pads on the VRMs and VRAMs is?
I've recently changed them and ruined my card. On default settings I'm getting 60C GPU temp and 110C junc temp. I've tried two configs:
1) 1,5mm on VRAM and 2mm on VRM.
2) 1mm on VRAM and 1,5mm on VRM.
the temps of both the VRM and VRAM were fine but the junc temp is going too high.
Any info on how to fix this will be much appreciated