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EK water block backplate contact problem, with 3090 TUF

unix43
Level 7

‎07-28-2021 12:10 AM - last edited on ‎03-05-2024 06:56 PM by Community Admin

Hi all. i‘m having a problem with finishing my new build. basically I finished putting the waterblock on the GPU nearly a week ago now, I t’s a 3090.
It has been sitting on my table because I can’t work out what’s going on and EK support with this issue is rather lacking in their responses.
The problem is when I took the backplate off to check contact of thermal pads, I have some contact in places and no contact in others.
I will upload the same photos I sent to support. as you can see the bottom single VRAM chip is making good contact, the four chips on ether side of the core the left is making contact with three of four chips, the opposite side about two chips, the core no contact at all, the top VRAM’s no contact.
The vrms on either side good contact. the pads are definitely the size for the locations as stated in the manual. the centre, two sides, bottom, and top are all 1.5mm, the two sides are 2.0mm. the backplate screws in fine.
The only thing I can notice is that the four centre screws on the PCB and water block, well three in this case as one is removed and goes in from the backplate itself,*but from the looks they “may” sit a mm or two higher than the VRAM chips with the washers that EK states are to be used with all fourteen screws, thus could possibly be restricting the backplate from making the necessary contact in those places?.
Im not sure if those screws indeed require washers as the one screw out of the four, for the core is removed and done up with the backplate and that has no washer, so I don’t see a difference at the end of the day.
However I’m not going to potentially fry my card over a guess. so I’m asking with these pictures at hand and the information I have provided, and possibly anyone else’s experience could I please get some help in any way because I’m at a point where I just can’t proceed further. thanks.

https://ibb.co/8gvMDHZ
https://ibb.co/kJzXz2r
https://ibb.co/hstr8dd
https://ibb.co/fYRTcP0
https://ibb.co/Cb5nVfS
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3 REPLIES 3

Silent_Scone
Super Moderator

‎08-03-2021 08:36 AM

Hello,

It's incredibly difficult to install the EK blocks incorrectly. As long as you're following the instruction and information provided, there shouldn't be an issue. Make sure not to over torque any screws.
13900KS / 8000 CAS36 / ROG APEX Z790 / ROG TUF RTX 4090
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unix43
Level 7
In response to Silent_Scone

‎08-04-2021 10:34 AM

Silent Scone@ROG wrote:
Hello,

It's incredibly difficult to install the EK blocks incorrectly. As long as you're following the instruction and information provided, there shouldn't be an issue. Make sure not to over torque any screws.


thanks, but my question wasn’t about the water block.
As I said it’s the backplate that’s in question, so it should be even more fool proof. However I’ve been back and forth with support for the last 9days over it.
Now they want me to send my 3090 to them for their R&D team lol. No way in hell.
The possible problem and what support agrees on is that once again, removing the backplate after pad install shows that the pads aren’t making even contact across all the VRAM on the back of the card.
The top memory chips are clearly not making an imprint mark in the pads.
Neither is the centre pad.
I even have a second backplate now to check that the first one didnt have a milling problem in some areas.
Brand new pads on the new backplate, new photos, there is contact marks but they are faint on the top memory chips.
The centre one has no imprints at all still.
I’m at the point I think I’m just going to finish my build tomorrow as it’s been nearly a month of non stop getting nowhere.
I wasn’t even convinced it was going to be a problem, that’s why I emailed support hoping they said minor contact is fine, but the person agrees “that’s strange”, every 24 hours a new reply and getting nowhere. The last response was they recommend an active backplate.
That would be fine if they actually produced an active backplate for the 3090 TUF.
So there own support is telling me that I should scrap the passive backplate and solve the problem? with an active backplate, that doesn’t even exist yet.
Send my card to their R&D team, you’d think that was done when they created a blueprint for the backplate wouldn’t you.
The PCB isn’t warped so I just have no idea why there doesn’t appear to be even contact everywhere.
Anyway I have photos of the new backplate with fresh pads Incase anyone was interested, there’s definite contact marks on the top chips now but nowhere near as much contact as the other memory chips.
Again I see nothing at all in the centre pad.

https://ibb.co/LCRH787
https://ibb.co/h9bXmkV
https://ibb.co/F5KgFDM
https://ibb.co/Qd4xbxj
https://ibb.co/s3Yfc4G
https://ibb.co/xDXTZ3K

Any help, experiences, opinions? Would be appreciated.
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Braegnok
Level 14
In response to unix43

‎08-05-2021 12:51 AM

If you have concerns about your backplate not making an imprint on thermal pads or having faint/uneven contact. Personally I would simply apply some non-conductive thermal paste on the pads in question, reinstall back plate.

As Silent Scone stated above making sure not to over torque any screws, and confirming you are indeed following instructions, using correct screws in all locations.
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