Troubleshooting an AIO Videocard...Bubbles? Blockage? Old Age Dementia?

H

HeadRusch

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jun 8, 2007
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So I own a 980 Ti Hybrid from EVGA, this is one with an AIO affixed to it. Its been used a lot in the many years I've owned it, the past 2 years literally on most of the day for Warzone and BeamNG and other games, this isn't my primary rig its a spare used by #1 son.

Last week he says "Dad, this thing is crashing all the time". I look and see the news about Ampere...I say "OOoooh no I'm not falling for that bullshit". But yeah something is up. The card seems to be idling super hot and then thermal throttling under load, if not crashing outright. This is with me setting the fan to 100% and playing some beamNG, Warzone,
temps climb high to like 100+c, card throttles, framerates crash, card sometimes recovers sometimes it just boots out of the game, but its idling at like 80 to 90F and then in game its spiking way high (Afterburner is set to stock and I crank the fan to 100%, still happening).

Its been installed properly (rad above the pump) and has given nothing but solid performance until last week. For the record, his upgrade is already on its way thanks to ebays ripcord-pulling sellers lately...so saving this 980 is now more of a thought experiment.

Observations: If I let the thing game I do feel vibration in the hose, so I think the pump is running...and one tube gets hot the other less so, I'm assuming this is my return that is cool. IF I SHAKE the radiator and Fan while the card is under load, the Rad gets warm at the base but isn't super
hot to the touch and the temps drop...10 degrees, 20 degrees if I keep shaking it. When I stop, temps start to creep back up.

So its like the fluid isn't reaching the fins of the rad? The return isn't hot like the other tube is making me wonder, is it blocked somehow?

I can hear liquid if I shake it violently and the temps drop but....well.....figured I'd ask if anyone can guess what is up. Is this just an air bubble situation or does it sound like something else is up here...

Curious if anyone had a thought. Thank Ye.
 
Well if it's an air bubble in the pumo/card, tipping the case so the barbs on the card are facing up should flush the bubbles out to the rad where you want the trapped air. Do this while gaming so the pump will be running max as its hot.

I'd say find a video on removing the block from the card and check the thermal paste. Maybe it's all dried up. Time for some new paste.
 
...tipping case.....barbs on card pointing up.....got it, hadn't thought of that. <slaps self>
You're right, age alone is probably worth unscrewing the plate and replacing....first will see if the card tipping solves all my woes. Thx for the tip.
 
It'd be cool if you posted a clip replacing your aio if that ends up to be the issue.
 
Woah, that's a typo on my part, I meant replacing the *paste* :D

Pretty sure the world doesn't need to see another video of thermal paste replacement, I think we're all good on that procedure.
 
Yeah, my guess is thermal paste breaking down. Also, is it a full cover AIO (so, memory chips are cooled by block as well, or just GPU?). May want to double check thermal pads to memory IC and VRM's while you have it all torn down. Those are known to disintegrate after time as well (but if your GPU temp is climbing, my guess is bad thermal contact from block -> gpu).
 
Alive.jpg

You magnificent bastards....that was it.....after about 20 minutes of overheating and running on its side I heard a gurgling and temps dropped back down into the 30c range, or 64 under load with the Afterburner overclock! Was watching the temps suddenly start to drop and the fan started to spool down, heard an audible gurgle from the rad.....must have passed its embolism :)


Thanks for the help [H]!
 
To minimize the chance of this happening again, keep the end of the radiator without barbs as the highest point in the loop.
 
HeadRusch said:
View attachment 277777

You magnificent bastards....that was it.....after about 20 minutes of overheating and running on its side I heard a gurgling and temps dropped back down into the 30c range, or 64 under load with the Afterburner overclock! Was watching the temps suddenly start to drop and the fan started to spool down, heard an audible gurgle from the rad.....must have passed its embolism :)


Thanks for the help [H]!
Click to expand...

Awesome! Ya got lucky not having to pull the thing apart to swap out the paste!
 
Agreed, you never want to take something apart that has all that sticky thermal crap that could tear off or break a bond, whatever is lurking under that shroud.....so crisis averted.

However, it's saved....but probably done, heading to ebay or a 3rd ancillary build.....thinking it was toast I went on ebay and thanks to everyone pulling the ripcord due to Ampere, I picked up a 1080 Ti for about $360 and change.......since this is paired with a 1080p TV at 60hz it's going to last awhile.......and admittedly the 980 Ti is probably at the end of its useful life if you want to play anything coming out in the next year or two, its the vram limitations that are going to kill it before the GPU gets overburdened (at 1080p anyhow) so I guess this is all serendipitous....now is when I star tthinking about upgrading my MAME cab....but then I remember...pretty sure that thing runs ISA slots it's so old....if its got a graphics card slot it's probably AGP in there ;)
 
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