Gigabyte 5080 AERO has different PCB!

[haste]

Hi,
I bought this water block (already shipped) so I've just removed the cooler to see the PCB and I was shocked, because it is different from your images in GPU configurator!!! Please check the attached image with possibly all differences marked in red.

So my question is, will it fit? Have you tested the water block with this particular PCB or have you just assumed it will be the same??? Especially the area in front around the coils and mosfets looks very dangerous!

Please answer asap because the block is already on its way.

Thank you.

 

[haste]

The front area is different even on the cooler.

 

[Eddy]

The cooler is compatible with multiple graphics cards. However, we always show just one PCB layout — I believe it’s the one from the Windforce model. The layout on the different cards is slightly different in terms of component placement, but the overall design is the same. So no need to worry — it will fit. We had all the cards here in-house for testing.

The Aero model simply has fewer capacitors, or in some cases a few additional components. But this is clearly visible in the PCB layout and was taken into account during the cooler’s development.

In short… no need to panic — it will fit.

 

[haste]

The cooler is compatible with multiple graphics cards. However, we always show just one PCB layout — I believe it’s the one from the Windforce model. The layout on the different cards is slightly different in terms of component placement, but the overall design is the same. So no need to worry — it will fit. We had all the cards here in-house for testing.

The Aero model simply has fewer capacitors, or in some cases a few additional components. But this is clearly visible in the PCB layout and was taken into account during the cooler’s development.

In short… no need to panic — it will fit.

Thank you for your answer. However, even in your compatibility list PDF, the only PCB shown there is the different one with the smaller ceramic capacitors in front and 2 more phases at the back. If it really is compatible, you should add this correct AERO PCB to the compatibility list, because this is confusing.

Anyway, I made another image with overlay of the water block (attached) and since you only cool mosfets, I also think it shoud fit now. The only problem would be the 2 missing phases (mosfets), where the block will not have contact with the PCB. But I might put some 2mm pads there to have at least some contact.

 

[Eddy]

Let me explain it differently: We had all of the cards physically here when developing the new coolers, so we're fully aware of the components that may vary from model to model. We account for this by leaving cutouts in the cooler where needed.

All the coils, for example, are generally not actively cooled by us, because there's no need for it. The other components shown are also not thermally relevant and are therefore not covered by the cooler.

The only relevance these components have is that we make sure to mill out space for them in the cooler design. Missing components have no impact on cooler compatibility or performance.

 

[haste]

Let me explain it differently: We had all of the cards physically here when developing the new coolers, so we're fully aware of the components that may vary from model to model. We account for this by leaving cutouts in the cooler where needed.

All the coils, for example, are generally not actively cooled by us, because there's no need for it. The other components shown are also not thermally relevant and are therefore not covered by the cooler.

The only relevance these components have is that we make sure to mill out space for them in the cooler design. Missing components have no impact on cooler compatibility or performance.

If you had this PCB for testing, why isn’t it in the compatibility PDF? The document explicitly says customers should check the PCB image for compatibility, so it should include images of all compatible PCB variants. Yet every GB card in that document links to the same PCB image. That’s the main issue here.

I understand how this works - I’ve been watercooling my PCs for almost 20 years. While many components on the PCB aren’t thermally important, they can still help transfer heat from the board. That’s why many coolers (and even some water blocks) make contact with them. Many EK blocks I’ve used in the past, for example, made contact with inductors - even if only through thick thermal pads. I’ll actually try to do the same here, depending on the clearance between the inductors and the block. The main reason why this matters is that my case has fairly low airflow, so any extra heat pulled out via the water loop is a bonus.

 

[haste]

So, the water block fits remarkably well. During my initial test fitting with just a bit of Kryonaut on the GPU, no thermal pads, no pressure, just the block’s own weight, it made such a perfect contact that I couldn’t get it off afterward

I also managed to cool the inductors too using stacked medium-soft 2x3mm pads. The actual clearance there is around 6mm, but once the bolts are tightened, even the inductor pads make soft contact with the block.

GPU temperatures are excellent, only about 1 °C above coolant temperature at idle, and never exceeding 50 °C under load (using my trusty old Kryonaut).

If I had to nitpick…
I wanted to reuse the original IO bracket from the GB SFF card, because I prefer its chrome finish, but it doesn’t fit with the included backplate. I had to use the supplied black one instead.
Another minor issue is the tight space around the 16-pin connector. I can still press the release lever and unplug it thanks to my nimble fingers, but someone with larger hands might struggle.

Overall, I’m happy with the block. Premium PC component prices are so absurd these days that discussing price-to-performance feels pointless. Ignoring the cost, I’d rate it 4.5 out of 5.