Gpu temp issue with 4080S Core block.. Inlet mistake ?

[alchemino]

Hello,

I've juste bought an Alphacool Core Block Reference Card for my PNY 4080 Super Verto OC and built a new loop with on my Silent Base 802.
Unfortunately I've been struggling trying to get good temps on the GPU. After multiples mounting attempts I still get that kind of temp curve running Uningine Heaven :


So temps are slowly rising to an unavoidable thermal throttling. Knowing that my card was at 60-65C at max charge with its air cooler, these results are disappointing. I am quite sure my mounting has been done well, and with my little knowledge the temp curve does not seems to indicate that. Moreover, idle temps are excellent with the gpu chilling at water temp +1C (was +25C with aircooler at 0%fan) and hotspot at water temp +9C. Cpu temps are excellent as well. So I am now thinking something is wrong with the water flow within the gpu block. I use clear flluid (Aquacomputer DP ultra) so it is difficult to see but I definitely can't see any water going through the central jet plate. My outlet is currently in the front side where "out" is marked, while the inlet is on the opposite side on the backplate (so aligned with the "in" marked on the frontside). Is this configuration correct, or maybe the inlet has to be on the front side where "in" is marked ? I can not find any clear information about that unfortunately, and I am tired of draining and re-filling the loop so I am hoping I could find answers here before trying everything again.

Otherwise, the only other solution I see now is that the VRAM pads might be a little too thick. Is this something possible with this product / has it been reported from others Core block + PNY 4080S users ?

Also, the PCI bracket has two holes before the screw's hole that does fit exactly the tiny components on the PNY's pcb, but I still can fix the backplate properly so I do no thinks it's relevant.

The details of my loop if it matters :
D5 next ultitube 100mm -> EK rad 30x360 -> Heatkiller pro IV-> Koolance quick disconnect QD3 -> Alphacool Core block 4080 ref card -> Koolance quick disconnect QD3-> EK rad 30x420 -> D5 next (back)

Thanks in advance !

 

[alchemino]

To be more clear, here is my current in/out configuration :

 

[alchemino]

Here is what we can see right after filling the loop :

Watch filling_loop | Streamable

Watch "filling_loop" on Streamable.

streamable.com

And 2h after filling the loop :

Watch 2H_afterfillingloop | Streamable

Watch "2H_afterfillingloop" on Streamable.

streamable.com

So indeed the water does not seem to pass through the central jet plate, not sure whether it is expected or not when fixing the inlet on the backplate side..

 

[alchemino]

Just forgot to mention :


These curves are obtained trough a complete Uningine Heaven bench pass (6-7 min), running an undervolting profil @950mv. I use to have ~60C gpu / ~ 70-75C hotspot with the original air cooler running the same profil.

 

[alchemino]

Well just tried to run occt power test, gpu still instantly picked at 82C and 109C hotspot so I immediatly stopped the test.
Can't get an answer neither for the water flow direction nor the thermal pads thickness from the support, so I guess I only have to take some weeks out for testing everything myself

 

[Vanzin]

HI,

can you please send us photos from the imprints of the thermal pads and paste, so that we can check them.

 

[alchemino]

Hi,

Thanks for answering, I will do that today. Does it mean that there is no issue with my water flow direction within the block (inlet/outlet)?

 

[Vanzin]

Hi,

the In and OUT are correctly placed.

 

[alchemino]

Hi again,

Here are the pictures :




Don't really know what to think about that. It seems like there was indeed a contact on the center of the die. It is very dry, probably due to the +110c temp spike. I'm using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste btw.

But I think I may have found something interesting. I tried to tighthen the 4 screws behind the gpu again using the little screwdriver provided : not possible, I was indeed at max and giving more force only makes the screwdrivers to rip off. Indeed they did not look a lot compressed :




However, I tried to tighthen them again but this time using my own screwdriver and I was able to give one more turn to each screw. I was using a little bit force but nothing too unreasonable. Regarding the pictures.. Do you think it could be the solution to my contact issue ?

In another hand, the 4 little washers are now a lot compressed, and the 3mm thermal pads for the backplate are not.. but I don't think it matters that much.



Will wait your answer before trying anything again. Thanks in advance.

 

[Vanzin]

HI,

this doesn´t lock good. You have wether enough imprint on the thermal pads nor on the GPU DIE. Normally you should have at least on the thermal pads good contact, if you don´t have contact with the GPU DIE.

Did you remove the plastic protection Standoffs, before mounting the water block. Unfortunately you didn´t photograph the whole PCB and water block but only the middle part.

Could you also do me a favour and measure the standoffs?

 

[alchemino]

Hi,

Thanks again for answering. Are you sure there isn't good contact with the vram thermal pads ? I am asking because :
- The vram temp wasn't that bad on stress test (55-60), slowly increasing as the water temp increased (~same rate).
- The flash of the photo probably reduces the reliefs on the pads. In reality they actually look a bit compressed (maybe not enough, just asking)

Here is another picture :



Others pictures :





For the vram pad which goes above the line with only 2 vram modules, one can see the difference of compression where the third vram module is missing, indicating that there is indeed some mounting pressure on the vram (but still maybe not enough?)

One can also see that the 2 grey pads are not compressed the same way.

And a picture of the whole pcb :



I did remove the plastic protection Standoffs of course, here are the measurements of the standoffs on the coldplate:
- the 7 outer standoffs are 3mm tall
- On the center, 2 are 2.5mm and the 2 others on the elevated part of the coldplate around the die are 1.5mm.

I don't have very precise instruments for measuring that so it's something like +- 0.2mm.

 

[alchemino]

I took a closer look and I think I may have found something :




The tiny electrical component highlighted in red is probably causing a lack of mounting pressure.
- It's around 0.2-0.3mm taller than the standoff standing next to it on the coldplate.
- it did let a mark on the coldplate (difficult to see in pictures because of all the reflects), so there was indeed some mounting pressure on it.
- This hypothesis is perfectly consistent with the different marks on the thermal pads. The more the pad is far from that component, the more it is compressed and the more it is deeply marked by the chips (see pictures above, especially for the grey pads).

I am surprised because I've look at some Core gpu block for others PCB (also for the PNY 4090) and one can see that unlike mine, the elevations surrounding the gpu on the coldplate are precisely shaped around the vram modules, while mine get that "U-shaped" elevation which in consequence actually makes it contact with the component highlighted in red (otherwise it would not!). So I am wondering if I have received the wrong block, or if it could just be an error on the coldplate design / compatibily list. Please let me know.

 

[Vanzin]

HI,

sry for the late answer. I have checked it. First the water block was never listed as compatible with the PNY 4080 Super Verto. The marked component on your PCB wasn´t existing on the PCB we had and is causing that the water block don´t have enough contact. Therefore we don´t have an compatible water block for this GPU in our assortment.

 

[alchemino]

Hi,

Thanks for answering. However, you should know that publicly lying to customers for avoiding SAV is definitely not a good idea for a company in 2024...

The PNY 4080 Super Verto is indeed, strangely, not listed anymore in the compatibility list on your website. BUT affirming that it was "never listed", (so in the same time basically that I am just an idiot who did not check such a basic thing), is definitely a LIE. Depending on how this story will end, I will ensure myself that Twitter, Youtube, and the various forums I have influence on will hear about on a daily basis.

- Waybackmachine is telling the truth : The PNY 4080 Super Verto was indeed listed on your website the 4th February 2024 (only date available)

13439 Alphacool Core Geforce RTX 4080 Reference Design with Backplate

Alphacool's Core product series is characterized by high quality, outstanding performance and the uniform and functional design language. The copper…

web.archive.org

And I can ensure the card was still listed when I bought the block... Can't know when this has changed, but I could even think that it was this morning after such a lie.

- The graphic card is still listed in many vendors' website, in particular the one I used for buying the block.

A change on the compatibility list should have been clearly stated everywhere, highlighting that the pny 4080S is NOT compatible anymore, despite it previously was mentionned as, and despite that it is a reference card PCB.

Having trusted your company made me lost hundreds (if not thousands) of euros, because I've built my entire system and my loop with the aim of watercooling my gpu, and I am now stuck because it was the only block available for that card. And even more valuable, a HUGE amount of time for troobleshooting the loop, that any compensation (that I will absolutely ask for) will never give back. Now given your answer, that is far from acceptable.

 

[Sath0Rn]

Alchemino,
Tu es le client de DocMicro ?

 

[alchemino]

Oui?

 

[alchemino]

So still no update ? Can't get a reply from the "support" neither. For 2 weeks. Amazing.

 

[Vanzin]

Hi,

as I have told in my previously post, we don´t have a compatible water block for this GPU in our assortment. Please get in contact with your reseller regarding a withdrawal from your order. Please note that their conditions and requirements are crucial.

 

[Sath0Rn]

Bonjour Alchemino,

Je vous invite à prendre du recul concernant ce que vous écrivez.
Comprenant votre mécontentement, nous veillons néanmoins à toujours traiter nos clients avec respect dans la transparence et rapidement.
Mon service m'a indiqué qu'on s'était occupé de vous et à clôturer votre ticket car il a apporté une réponse, certes négative, mais réponse quand même sur le forum.
Ensuite, il s'avère que la compatibilité avec PNY a été enlevée il y a quelques temps déjà.
C'est extrêmement embarrassant pour nous comme pour vous mais ne croyez pas que mes homologues allemands essayent de vous embrouiller ou autre. Je vous confirme qu'il y a eu une mise à jour des compatibilités suite à des mauvaises informations transmises.
Je ne pourrais pas vous proposer de block pour cette configuration mais je peux vous apporter néanmoins un geste commercial en accompagnant notre partenaire Doc Micro.

Je vous invite à nouveau de voir avec eux ce qu'il est envisageable de faire et je ferai le maximum pour que cette histoire de compatibilité s'installe derrière nous.

Merci pour votre compréhension.

/G.

 

[alchemino]

Bonjour,

J'invite également votre collègue à prendre du recul sur ce qu'il écrit !
Premièrement personne ne s'est occupé de moi hors de ce forum. J'avais pourtant bien contacté l'adresse mail fournie sur la partie support de votre site 1 semaine avant de poster sur le forum et je n'ai jamais eu de réponse.
Ensuite la liste de compatibilité devrait être prise plus aux sérieux, et les "informations qui vous sont transmises" vérifiées par quelqu'un d'autre que les clients directement. Vos clients investissent plusieurs milliers d'euros sur leurs projets en faisant confiance à cette liste.
Et au lieu de reconnaître l'erreur, votre collègue a préféré rejeter la faute sur moi en disant que la carte n'a JAMAIS été listée. Pourquoi alors ne pas l'avoir dit plus tôt alors que j'ai mentionné ma carte dès le début ? Waybackmachine, DocMicro et vous même confirmez donc que c'était de tout façon un mensonge. Je m'excuse mais même avec tout le recul du monde je trouve ce comportement inacceptable.
Je prends note de votre proposition de geste commercial. Cette affaire m'oblige en effet à encaisser des pertes importantes sur la revente de la carte graphique, et étant donné d'autre part la quantité monstrueuse de temps et d'énergie perdue dans ce projet, j'espère obtenir un effort de votre part de ce côté là.