A Hot Potato: Nvidia’s RTX 5000 Series Facing Potential Long-Term Durability Issues
It seems like Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series is in hot water once again. According to Igor Wallossek of Igor’s Lab, a problem has been discovered in most Blackwell AIB partner cards, with local hotspots at the rear of the PCBs potentially leading to damage over time due to heavy use.
During testing on a PNY RTX 5070 OC and Palit RTX 5080 Gaming Pro OC, Wallossek recorded temperature spikes in the power delivery areas of the cards. The RTX 5070 reached a scorching 107 °C, while the GPU core remained cooler at 70°C. The RTX 5080 Gaming Pro OC peaked at 80.5°C.
Wallossek identified the issue as being caused by the tightly packed arrangement of power components on the PCBs, leading to concentrated heat that could impact the cards’ long-term durability, potentially shortening their lifespan with heavy use.
Wallossek also highlighted shortcomings in Nvidia’s Thermal Design Guide, which he believes does not account for real-world gaming conditions that users face, leading to elevated temperatures in the cards.
As a temporary solution, Wallossek suggested adding thermal putty and a thicker pad to bridge the hotspots to the backplate, resulting in significant temperature reductions. The RTX 5080’s hotspot dropped from 80.5°C to 70.3°C, and the RTX 5070 saw a decrease from 107.3°C to below 95°C.
Measurements revealed that the VRM zones were nearing critical temperatures during heavy gaming loads, raising concerns about the cards’ durability over time. Nvidia has yet to respond to these reports, with engineers suggesting that the company heavily relies on partner self-certification for its AIB cards.
