Fixing AMD Navi overheating/junction temp. issues

26 January 2023, 12:07:50

So I have an RX 5500 XT bought for really cheap from a guy, who told me was in excellent condition (and it was, never opened even), but soon I find it is plagued with the junction temp. issue.

Of course i try repasting it, gpu temp lowers by like 1 degree, and junction temp. from 110 to 105, still too much.

Next I try as a test to replace part of the thermal pads and also supplement some (on my card there are 2 more chips almost touching the cooler near the gpu, and another two almost touching the backplate; you have to take apart the whole card). After this, what a surprise, the juction temp lowers from 105 to ~98. Which is still too much as the fans start screaming at 99.

The third time I open the card I decide to also change the thermal pads on the memory chips, and on half of the VRMs as they looked squashed. For extra measure i smear some thermal paste on them too.
When I close the card I also notice how some thermal pads don't make good contact at the very top. Pressing the card with my hands proved it: the screws holding the fan assembly (which also hold the edges of the cooler itself) have some springs on them, which limits their torque.
I put some thin washers behind them to increase that torque, closed the card back up, and to my delight: GPU barely touches 60, and junction barely touches 80.

So what's going on with Navi cards? The mounting is improperly designed - GPU bracket has tiny little screws, then the "support" for it, which is this weird fan assy.+edge of cooler contraption, has too little torque.

My card is a Sapphire Pulse, close to reference. I've seen the high end cards e.g. 6800XT also plagued by this, to look similar in their mouting system.

Re: Fixing AMD Navi overheating/junction temp. issues

Reply #1 – 17 April 2023, 00:13:12

I've opened my card again recently since I had to retrieve a screw from inside of it, goofy me had to clean the dusty pc.

Next to the gpu chip, at least on my Sapphire card, there is this hard rubber spacer. I think it's meant to protect the chip in case the cooler gets a bump. Well I took it off (you'll need some solvent, it's very well glued) and it seems to be a few more degrees off the junction temperature, from a best of 80, now to the high 70's.

Seems to be another viable solution, unfortunately there still is no permanent fix apart from a cooler redesign. Heh or a custom cooler, if there is one for the lower end cards like mine.