Replacing thermal gel in Gigabyte RX 9070 XT allegedly reduces VRAM temperatures by 7 degrees
Take Control of Your PC's Thermals with DIY Computer Peripherals
DIY Computer Peripherals, a Bilibili content creator and thermal pad vendor, has a video tutorial on replacing Gigabyte's server-grade thermal conductive gel with standard thermal pads, using the Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite 16G as an example. A customer presumably sent in the graphics card for a cooling upgrade and got exactly what they asked for.
Gigabyte integrated thermal conductive gel into its latest AMD and Nvidia gaming graphics cards. However, this putty-like thermal compound has been met with criticism due to instances of leakage from certain graphics cards, especially when installed vertically. Upon conducting an investigation, Gigabyte acknowledged that early production runs had experienced issues with excessive applications of the thermal gel. The company has since assured customers that the amount of thermal gel used in the graphics cards has been adjusted to prevent such issues in the future. The Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite 16G also features thermal gel, which may have influenced the consumer's decision to switch to conventional thermal pads.
In the video, DIY Computer Peripherals demonstrated how to remove Gigabyte's thermal gel using isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel, followed by scraping away any residue with a plastic spudger. For replacements, they utilized Gilson HD800 and HD1200 thermal pads. The HD800 pad has a thermal conductivity rating of 8 W/mK, which is decent but not the top choice available.
DIY Computer Peripherals employed a phase change pad on the large Navi 48 silicon, while they used standard thermal pads for other components such as GDDR6 memory chips, chokes, and MOSFETs. The thermal pad thickness is crucial for effective cooling; being either too thin or too thick can negatively impact performance.
DIY Computer Peripherals provided thickness measurements for each thermal pad featured in the video. For example, the thermal pads for the GDDR6 memory chips measure 1.25mm, while those for the chokes are 1.5mm thick, among others. However, DIY Computer Peripherals cautions that not all thermal pads are alike; each brand has distinct softness and mounting pressure requirements. The thickness mentioned in the video applies specifically to the brand utilized by the Bilibili creator.
Before the thermal pad replacement, the Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite 16G operated with a fan speed of 42%, reaching temperatures of 56°C for the core, 88°C for the hot spot, and 85°C for the VRAM. Following the swap, the RDNA 4 graphics experienced a decrease in fan speed to 40%, with the core temperature at 53°C, the hot spot at 87°C, and the VRAM cooling down to 78°C. Typically, memory chips are inadequately cooled in many graphics cards, making it understandable that the Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite 16G's VRAM benefited the most from the upgrade.
If you didn't receive a graphics card from one of the early Gigabyte batches, thermal gel leakage is unlikely to be a concern. Gigabyte has communicated that this issue doesn't impact the card's performance or lifespan. Should the problem occur, it's advisable to contact Gigabyte directly. DIY Computer Peripherals has shown that replacing the thermal gel is feasible, and you don't lose any cooling performance. In fact, it may allow your graphics card to run more quietly and at cooler temperatures.
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[1] Source: DIY Computer Peripherals video on Bilibili[4] Source: Coolermaster Blog - "Thermal Pads vs Thermal Gel: What's Best for Your PC?"
Gigabyte's decision to incorporate thermal gel into their latest smartphones or gadgets could also face criticism due to the potential leakage issues, as seen with their gaming graphics cards.
In the quest for improving cooling solutions, one might consider swapping Gigabyte's thermal gel with smartphone-compatible thermal pads, such as the ones demonstrated by DIY Computer Peripherals in their video tutorial.
