Another launch, another mess.
So here we are. Again. This time it’s Gigabyte’s shiny new RTX 50 Series graphics cards. Apparently, cramming cutting-edge silicon into a thousand-quid slab of metal just isn’t complete without a thermal gel spill that makes it look like your GPU’s trying to ooze its way out of your case.
What’s Leaking, and Why Should You Care?
Gigabyte decided traditional thermal pads were too old school and slapped on some “specially engineered thermal conductive gel” in their RTX 5080 and 5090 cards. Supposedly, it gives better contact and heat transfer. Cool. Except not so cool when the gel starts crawling out of place like it’s auditioning for The Blob remake.
Most reports come from folks running vertical GPU mounts (because of course you want to show off your overpriced pixel-pusher), and that orientation seems to be helping gravity do its worst. Drips. Blobs. Ooze. Whatever you want to call it, this isn’t what “premium cooling” should look like.
Gigabyte’s Official “It’s Fine, We Swear”
Here’s the corporate damage control summary:
- The gel is non-conductive (so it won’t fry your GPU, allegedly).
- It’s stable up to 150°C, which is great because your GPU shouldn’t be getting anywhere near that unless something else is seriously wrong.
- They chalk it up as a cosmetic issue. Like when your car leaks oil but still technically runs?
They’ve “adjusted the application process” for newer batches, but don’t expect a recall. Instead, if your card’s leaking like a dodgy kebab shop fridge, you’re told to “contact regional support.” Good luck with that.
Community Response: Suspicion, Sarcasm, and Side-Eye
As usual, the PC community is split between two camps:
- “My temps are fine, stop whining.”
- “Why is my £1,200 GPU leaking like a cheap vape mod?”
Spoiler alert: It’s not just about temps. People are rightly worried about where that gel ends up long-term. It’s not supposed to be mobile. This isn’t thermal paste with dreams of exploration. It’s supposed to stay put. Especially on a flagship product.
So, What Should You Actually Do?
Alright, here’s your no-BS checklist if you’re running one of these thermal jellyfish:
- Look inside your rig. Got blobs near the VRMs? Stuff creeping along the PCB like it’s trying to escape? Take pictures and start documenting.
- Run temp monitors (like HWInfo or GPU-Z). If things start spiking, you’ve got more than a cosmetic issue.
- Mount it horizontally if you can. It’s not a guaranteed fix, but it’s definitely not making it worse.
- Don’t wait. If it’s leaking, raise a support ticket now, while you’re still within warranty and before they start playing dumb.
- Stay noisy. Hardware forums, Reddit, Discords don’t let this quietly slide like, well… thermal gel.
Final Word: Do Better, Gigabyte
This shouldn’t be happening. Not on top-tier GPUs. Not in 2025. If you’re charging enthusiast prices, the hardware better be bulletproof. Especially the cooling. Thermal gel shouldn’t be something we have to monitor. It should just work.
If you’re shopping RTX 50 Series and you want real performance without the mystery goo, maybe consider brands that don’t treat QA like it’s optional. Or better yet, come to us. We don’t do sloppy.
