Liquid metal on new GPU's = warranty violation?

[80251]

I've always read EVGA would allow modifications to the cooling employed for their graphics card but how far do they allow you to go? For other AIB manufacturers is it true that any modification of the cooling solution (or VBIOS) is an instant warranty violation?

 

[joemama]

I think most gpu manufacturer's warranty voids when you disassemble the card

 

[basco]

i think i would go the normal paste route and never had probs with returns if they see you handled the card fine.
liquid metal "for me" is not worth the hassle over 2° better temps.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Vbios well if the card has dual vbios you can alter the oc one but the normal vbios is hands off

Yes evga does allow water blocks to be added along with other basic stuff like thermal paste and pads changing

If they see the tamper stickers broken they do not void warranty but they do dig deeper
Whether they void warranty for things like static electric shock damage I've never read about it think they just look for physical damage closer they have been known to reject rma over scratches seeing they use these rma returns as b-stock market and likely rma replacements too.

 

[Colddecked]

EVGA has been generous to me when it comes to support. But I doubt even they would honor the warranty IF they can prove you put liquid metal on the card. There's no way you could prove liquid metal didn't play some role in the cards problem.

 

[Adam Krazispeed]

I think most gpu manufacturer's warranty voids when you disassemble the card

they cant do that in the USA, cant enforce this, as per GamersNexus has stated.....

https://www.youtube.com/user/gamersnexus

 

[freeagent]

Do you really need LM? Maybe just add another fan or two to your case or something?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
EVGA does use some crappy thermal paste and pads
I personally just swap out for arctic pads and nt-h1 paste on my cards...

 

[freeagent]

I literally saw a 10c drop in temps on my evga card by just switching the tim out. I still find it hard to believe it was that bad lol..

 

[ThrashZone]

I literally saw a 10c drop in temps on my evga card by just switching the tim out. I still find it hard to believe it was that bad lol..

Hi,
Not sure how you reused your evga thermal pads they are double stick tape so kudos for that one I could never pull that off lol

 

[freeagent]

Hi,
Not sure how you reused your evga thermal pads they are double stick tape so kudos for that one I could never pull that off lol

Ohh no.. I didn't touch the pads. Just the grease on the die. Or should I say clay..

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I'm sounding the horns, because post-Pascal eVGAs, look like they have a sticker on at least one of the heatsink screws! Looks like eVGA perm-ban-hammered heatsink changing and TIM changing.

Honestly looks like we're now prohibited from even changing the TIM!

 

[Shrek]

EVGA has been generous to me when it comes to support. But I doubt even they would honor the warranty IF they can prove you put liquid metal on the card. There's no way you could prove liquid metal didn't play some role in the cards problem.

As I understand it, liquid metal leaves a stain that can't be removed; so they would know.

 

[eidairaman1]

Outside of US, yes warranty void for taking card apart. Do not use lm on the die, there are great thermal pastes out there, look them up.

 

[Forge]

Removing warranty stickers to replace the TIM/pads or install a waterblock or aftermarket cooler is specifically allowed, and it'll just provoke a much more thorough testing and inspection of the card if returned.

So called 'liquid metal', or galistan (Gallium-Indium-Tin alloy) is very very nasty stuff, I never recommend it. It will pretty much instantly start forming an amalgam with any aluminum it touches, which is grey and crumbly and terrible for almost any use. It also "tunnels" through the aluminum, which can cause it to fail and turn to dirt-like amalgam rather far from the site of contact. All this for 1-2C drop? Versus things like zinc oxide which is so harmless and inert you can literally eat it without issue? (Don't do that. It's still not a great idea, bad for the digestion.)

I'll keep my 50 year old tube of zinc oxide "tractor engine paste" I got at a yard sale 20 years ago. It's as pure as any of the current brands, and it was a one *pound* tube for five bucks!

 

[plastiscɧ]

here is a translation of a warning regarding CPU and Liquid Metal:


CPU coolers with aluminum coldplates can thus not be used, instead the materials copper, nickel or silver are advised. Especially with Intel Haswell, Devil's Canyon and Broadwell processors, care must be taken that the liquid metal paste does not come into contact with the numerous technical components under or next to the heatspreader. Skylake CPUs also have some contact points that should be covered with tape for safety, and AMD CPUs should also be handled with care.

It corrodes various materials.

and now i come again with my carbon-sleeve. use it! it replaces liquid metal in a VERY appropriate way.

Thermal Grizzly
Carbonaut thermal pad

 

[80251]

Here's Der8auer's commentary on the Carbonaut pad:

Because of its thickness it doesn't even match high end thermal pastes in terms of perf.

There's no warranty on my 1080ti so I'm not worried about it. Considering how much videocards cost these days and how difficult they are to even get I'm just wondering if anyone takes the chance of replacing the TIM or thermal pads or using a water block and losing their warranty.

 

[Shrek]

Graphite pads have no pump-out effect

 

[plastiscɧ]

Here's Der8auer's commentary on the Carbonaut pad:

Because of its thickness it doesn't even match high end thermal pastes in terms of perf.

There's no warranty on my 1080ti so I'm not worried about it. Considering how much videocards cost these days and how difficult they are to even get I'm just wondering if anyone takes the chance of replacing the TIM or thermal pads or using a water block and losing their warranty.

gladly der BAUER is commenting the abbility of carbon in very positive way.
so considering this could be an option. i use it. and i am very satisfied so far.

 

[ShiBDiB]

Just use a good TIM and avoid liquid metal. The tiny potential decrease in temps isn't worth potentially screwing up your warranty (or card because that shit is conductive unlike a good TIM)

 

[R-T-B]

Hi,
EVGA does use some crappy thermal paste and pads
I personally just swap out for arctic pads and nt-h1 paste on my cards...

Pads, maybe. But the paste is actually Shin Etsu and far from the crapiest OEM paste around.

I'm sounding the horns, because post-Pascal eVGAs, look like they have a sticker on at least one of the heatsink screws! Looks like eVGA perm-ban-hammered heatsink changing and TIM changing.

Honestly looks like we're now prohibited from even changing the TIM!

Not enforceable in USA. They never even tried with me when I do warranty with that sticker popped.

Removing warranty stickers to replace the TIM/pads or install a waterblock or aftermarket cooler is specifically allowed, and it'll just provoke a much more thorough testing and inspection of the card if returned.

So called 'liquid metal', or galistan (Gallium-Indium-Tin alloy) is very very nasty stuff, I never recommend it. It will pretty much instantly start forming an amalgam with any aluminum it touches, which is grey and crumbly and terrible for almost any use. It also "tunnels" through the aluminum, which can cause it to fail and turn to dirt-like amalgam rather far from the site of contact. All this for 1-2C drop? Versus things like zinc oxide which is so harmless and inert you can literally eat it without issue? (Don't do that. It's still not a great idea, bad for the digestion.)

I'll keep my 50 year old tube of zinc oxide "tractor engine paste" I got at a yard sale 20 years ago. It's as pure as any of the current brands, and it was a one *pound* tube for five bucks!

Liquid metal usually produces a lot more than a 1-2C drop (more around 10C in my experience), but you should indeed never use it with an Aluminum heatsink. That's like, rule number one.

And yes, I'd expect it to void a warranty immediately. Which is a perfectly valid reason to not use it.

 

[80251]

Ah, but graphite pads have no pump-out effect

They're also not as good, Der8auer found up to an 8°C difference in Carbonaut and Kryonaut in the same application.

How badly do you want better thermals?

 

[plastiscɧ]

my precious i7 7700K dropped with Liquid Metal 30°C (from around 95°C to ~60°C). They were really heat-heads
30°C = 86°F

that was an amazing result.

 

[80251]

Plastiche, what type of liquid metal did you use? Was that 30°C difference under water or some exotic cooling solution?

 

[yotano211]

Liquid metal is better for laptops especially higher end gaming laptops. I use coollaboratory liquid ultra on the cpu of my laptop. I get over 12C temp drop. I can run the cpu at 100% running at 4.3ghz and still stay at 82C with the fans running at medium speeds. The cpu is running at its full turbo speed 4.3ghz. I also apply a mild .065 undervolt through the Bios.

I put thermal tape around the cpu, apply the TIM, then enjoy. I have lots of experience using liquid metal. I have used coollaboratory liquid ultra since it came out, 10+years ago.