Image source: nvidia.com
The degradation of the thermal paste, which occurs in just a few months, leads to a temperature increase of up to 100 °C, and the fan speed freezes at 100%. Vallosek decided to investigate the problem when he noticed complaints from readers about the insufficient efficiency of the cooling systems of Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series video cards. After studying the Manli GeForce RTX 4080 Gallardo and Asus RTX 4080 TUF Gaming models, he discovered that the cause of the problems was poor-quality thermal paste. When he applied the proven product to the video cards, their temperatures returned to normal and the problem was resolved.
Subsequently, Igor discovered that the problem is not limited to some narrow circle of Nvidia partners – most, if not all, purchase thermal paste from the same supplier. It shows excellent performance in the first days, but degrades faster than standard thermal paste. To confirm his guess, he conducted extensive testing of the new Manli GeForce RTX 4080 Gallardo to see how the thermal paste behaved. At 60°C, it performed on par with the best products on the market, including Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, at low layer thicknesses. When applied in a thicker layer, the thermal conductivity deteriorated to the level of conventional products like Arctic MX-6, but remained quite acceptable.
Then the expert decided to study the substance under a microscope – the thermal paste turned out to have a cheap formula based on a strange oily mixture that dries in a matter of minutes if you rub it with your finger. In addition, it contains aluminum oxide particles up to 16 microns in size – too large, but in the short term they give high thermal conductivity, which decreases over time. Fortunately, the problem is relatively easy to solve. Most video cards are not that difficult to disassemble, and replacing thermal paste is done in the same way as on a central processor. Finding a quality product is not difficult, and there are many options with price tags under $10.