News Some RTX 3080, RTX A6000 GPUs Are Prone to Vapor Chamber Cracks: Report

[Admin]

Vapor chambers of some of Nvidia's high-end graphics cards can crack over time, a report says.

Some RTX 3080, RTX A6000 GPUs Are Prone to Vapor Chamber Cracks: Report : Read more

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

That hole looks some-what similar to the issues you would experience with normal Copper Pipes in plumbing.

What Causes Pinhole Leaks in Copper Pipes?

A common but hazardous plumbing problem exclusive to copper pipes is pinhole leaks. They develop slowly when interior corrosion in the copper pipe works its way through the metal to the exterior, causing tiny holes to occur. Pinhole leaks may go undetected for a long time due to their size, silently worsening the problem and increasing the extent of the damage. They may seem insignificant but can wreak havoc on the plumbing system, increase the utility bills, and cost hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs.

Before looking for ways to prevent or fix pinhole leaks, it is necessary to understand what causes them. Here are a few reasons why copper pipes can experience pinhole leaks:

Pitted corrosion
Pitted corrosion, a localized corrosion type, can cause pinhole leaks in copper pipes. Acidic water slowly corrodes copper, eventually leading to a pinhole leak. Pitted corrosion is usually of three types.

Type one usually occurs in cold water, and the primary cause is hard water with pH levels between 7 and 7.8. It causes deep and narrow pitting, resulting in pipe failure.

Type two is narrower than type one pitting but can also cause pipe failure. It is associated with soft water with a pH below 7.2.

Type three is associated with cold soft water with a pH over 8. The pitting is wide and low and results in pipe clogs and blue water.

If the Distilled water used in the Vapor Chamber isn't perfectly pH balanced neutral to 7.0, there could be damage developing in the long term.

 

[btmedic04]

convenient that this is popping up as warranty coverage is ending

 

[digitalgriffin]

This is called galvanic corrosion. It happens when you mix two metals. And it's something copper and brass coils/tubing experience when they come in contact with iron/steel. Ships go through something similar with steel and salt water. Aluminum is used as a sacrificial anode

Also same thing that cause water heaters to go bad. Copper pipes corrode.

 

[George³]

Casting defect blowhole?

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

The WCCFTech article on this is a bit more detailed, and includes this statement the Tomshardware article does not:

Plus, it is also mentioned that both of these GPUs had their heatsinks removed and had TIM applied on several occasions so they've been through a lot.

So between Covid time manufacturing (which we know can easily be subpar, remember the GPUs which overheated due to thermal pad stickers being left on?) and a rough life, I don't think most people have anything to worry about.

Aging NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 & A6000 GPUs Show Rare Symptoms of Vapor Chamber Cracks

NVIDIA'S RTX 3080 FE & RTX A6000 GPUs are susceptible to "vapor chamber cracking", revealing an unusual blue "substance" inside the chamber.

wccftech.com