Yesterday EVGA released a statement clarifying the situation regarding the overheating problem of some models.
EVGA: 22 models might be affected
So what’s is the problem? Two weeks ago first reports of EVGA’s GTX 1080 causing black screen issues have surfaced on various websites. It was later concluded that lack of thermal dissipation of PWM area on the PCB may be a cause of this problem. Unlike other companies, EVGA has not provided any direct heat dissipation of crucial part of the board. It is however worth noting that only some cards were really showing anomalies in actual operation. Unfortunately though, some ended up looking like this.
EVGA decided to provide two fixes for this issue, hopefully eliminating the risk of your card suddenly dying. The first one is the new VBIOS, which will increase the RPM of the fans and that should theoretically provide more airflow for PWM area. The first fix is recommended option, but there’s also a second fix, which is more complex because it requires you to apply new thermal pads, which can be requested for free through this website.
This is what you will receive from EVGA (plus thermal paste, which should always be replaced when cooler is removed):
And this how your card will look after you apply the pads:
The full manual is available at this link.
The whole thing started after Tom’s Hardware tested EVGA GTX 1080 FTW with thermal vision camera, credit TH review:
And this is how VBIOS update will affect the temperature of the same area (in this case there are no thermal pads applied, but the speed of the fan was increased), credit GamerNexus:
This is how VBIOS and thermal pads will affect the temperature of this area. In this scenario the backplate is also present:
So that’s a substantial drop in temperatures and likelihood of your card operating out-of-spec.
In case you’re wondering which models are affected, here’s the list of all cards that are eligible for free thermal pads (Founders Edition, Blower Type, Hybrid and Hydro Copper are not affected):
| GTX 1080 | GTX 1070 | GTX 1060 6G | GTX 1060 3G |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08G-P4-6181 | 08G-P4-5171 | 06G-P4-6262 | 03G-P4-6365 |
| 08G-P4-6183 | 08G-P4-5173 | 06G-P4-6366 | 03G-P4-6367 |
| 08G-P4-6284 | 08G-P4-6171 | 06G-P4-6265 | |
| 08G-P4-6286 | 08G-P4-6173 | 06G-P4-6264 | |
| 08G-P4-6384 | 08G-P4-6274 | 06G-P4-6267 | |
| 08G-P4-6386 | 08G-P4-6276 | 06G-P4-6368 | |
| 06G-P4-6167 | |||
| 06G-P4-6165 |
If you are not feeling comfortable removing the cooler yourself, EVGA will give you the option to replace your card free of charge.
Free cross-shipment will be provided for the following areas: Continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, EU, UK, Norway, and Switzerland.
Finally, all models that are sold after 1st November will have those thermal pads applied. At this point, however, you should definitely consider other brands, which provide direct heat dissipation of PWM area. Those cards were comprehensively tested by the customers and reviewers.
