Gamers Nexus I actually considering to buy this after I sold my 1070, is it realy that bad? I was one click away until I saw your video, should I get another card?
keep up the good work, it is surprisingly hard to find good reviewers that don't just do glorified unboxings with a few benchmarks on top, but reviewers that actually do research and point out flaws in the product design.
I really want to express my appreciation for your guys' lack of bias. You hammered Zotac a little bit, but not because they're Zotac. You saw the numbers and (in terms of their VRM cooling solution) saw that their cooling solution is inadequate for the price point. No agenda or brand loyalty, just numbers and cooling design. More youtubers need to learn from you.
Trogdor8freebird see a lot of youtbers would get sent this card by the company, Steve will get them even if the company won't send them, so he will give an honest review, even if it doesn't favor the companies best interest.
Hammered Zotac because they wont give him a test card. I mean really the EVGA's 1080's VRM actually caught fire and he had all kinds of videos defending them. Payola
I love how people think this is a bad cooler design. Do other ones include the VRM? Yes. Does this matter? No. GN has stated many times that VRM temps do NOT matter so long as they're within spec(See the EVGA drama videos posted on this channel). This card, at 2Ghz, always runs under 60c under synthetic loads under a custom fan curve that never goes above 40% fan speed. Maybe I have the best example of this card, but the amount of negativity towards it is not right in the slightest. Again, with the EVGA drama, GN stated many times that the temps did not matter. I do not understand why their opinion has reversed so severely regarding this card, but I will ask them if I get the chance.
Stated a couple times that the 1080 Tis are more or less the same. Not a very scientific way of stating they are equal. They are not equal in performance. The Zotac will beat every GTX 1080 Ti in gaming benchmarks. Despite the higher temperatures on the FET and VRAM, this card did not thermal throttle in clock or memory speed. Everyday gaming conditions you will never see these temperatures being shown here. I only saw thermals that high when running FurMark with all the other case fans disabled so I could gauge the sound levels of the fans. The cooling solution on this card is not the most ideal. However, if at any point the card was pushing very dangerous levels, the card would thermal throttle. I never saw the fans go over 69%, nor the core over 71C while running FurMark continuously for an hour. I'm sure the FETs and VRAM were cooking nicely as well. Clock and memory speeds didn't throttle. Like I stated earlier, you'll never put that much stress on the card gaming. Even if you could, the card is designed to thermal throttle to prevent destroying components. Pretty sure the devs did their homework and pushed the limits on this one a bit further than any of the other 3rd party manufacturers. Just because you don't like the looks of the temperatures involved, doesn't mean they aren't reasonable/feasible. Yes EVGA dropped the ball on the ACX cards last year, but I'm sure all the other R&D departments are learning greatly and are improving as a result. Your in-depth analysis was great. I like how you addressed the thermals in the different components and sections of the card. I just feel that unless you have a degree in electronic engineering, you should state a little more clearly what is your opinion and what is fact. People will take your video as fact. The only facts in this video presented were the temperatures and fan noises. Other than that, it's purely up to how you 'feel' about it. I love the channel, keep the videos coming. Much < 3.
I've always respected this channel, and (in the past) really received great advice. I went against the grain so to speak and bought this card anyway. As I watched all hardware reviews even JaysTwoCents on the original 1080 AMP. Which were nothing but glowing. After about half a year of consistent heavy use, I can safely say I'm glad I ignored your findings. I don't know what your testing method was, or how that came into play but I've never come close to the results you show here. In some cases, you were off by double digits! In most cases even extended 8-hour sessions of gaming the fans remained completely off. Sitting pretty at 49c! Water cool levels. I think the card you received may have been defective? Or the case you had it in was completely covered and off? Ether way I have never come close to 90c on the vrms the hint was it was performing worse then FE card. Not that you can find one for a decent price right now, but this card is just about the best 1080ti out there.
Thanks! Due to your comment i did watch the test of PC Games ruclips.net/video/l-PqwLxwlo8/видео.html There it is the best performing card in the 1080ti line up :)
This card is a damn beast. GN must've gotten a lemon for this review. Like you, my experience with this card has been great. Thermals are low and performance is insane.
Something tells me you won't be on Zotac's Christmas card list this year. Again. I am curious about the design of Zotac's Mini cards though. Not many manufacturers attempt to create such cards, let alone for the 1080 Ti. I wonder if the Zotac minis are designed better than their AMP cards, or if they just suck as well and Zotac thought they were good enough to release anyway.
Them getting pissed off and acting like little bitches about it (no longer sending samples etc.) just makes them look so much worse. Any company can make mistakes, that's fine. If a site like GN points out a flaw or weakness in your product, they should treat it as an opportunity to improve. Look at how EVGA handled the ACX3.0 VRM cooling issue, that's exactly how it should be done.
I have this card. I like it because it works, and is quiet. Turned off the lights with firestorm, turned the fan off stop so it doesn't spin up randomly... set the fan curve.. and away you go. I don' t hear it in my computer even after going through the bios and tuning all the fans. Find a place that has a return policy, and give it a go. Honestly think this review was done with a lemon card.. which can happen.
Just an update, My Zotac 1080ti Amp Extreme is still working great in 2022 and keeps a solid and constant 2012mhz core clock speed. And it does not exceed 65 degrees temp. The Zotac has hands down been the best value and longest lasting GPU i have owned and has well outlasted my previous EVGA 980ti.
Yeah I just bought a preowned because my 1070 took a crap but I bought this same card because I’m broke and just needed something at least a little better then what I had and cheap. Hopefully I get a few years out of it
@@WackDance My Zotac 1080ti Amp Extreme stills runs cool at a solid 2012mhz in 2023. Paid 750 UK pounds back in 2017. Been a great card. Now have a ZOTAC RTX 4090 Amp Extreme Airo. Which also runs really cool. The 1080ti is now used in my sons Pc
I mean the AMP extreme does comes factory over clocked higher than any 1080ti. What I would recommend is to put a stock FE bios on each card and have them all run at the same fan speed to really see which one does a better job of cooling. This test is pretty much like comparing an FE 1080 to a FE 1080ti. Like no shit the 1080ti runs hotter, its more power hungry just like the AMP card is compared to the Strix and EVGA etc. cards. And I'm not saying to not include the out of the box settings benchmarks, I mean most people aren't really gonna change the bios and set up a fan curve for the GPU but for the ones that are(like myself), it would be a nice touch to see which cooler truly does the best job.
Especially the FTW3 at the very end, after he picked it up and put it back down it was shaking every time he bumped the table. Just a slightly more forceful bump and this would have turned into a Linus video :)
7:20 you are hugely mistaken mate, this is running at 1.65ghz out of the box, so it’s running a lot cooler than all the other cards out there at the same speed. Also the fans don’t spin on this card until it hits 60 degrees. This has to be one of the worse fuck up videos I’ve seen around.
Agreed. I to have this card and the fans almost never even come on for me. Handles anything I throw at it and I don't think I've seen temps break 50c unless I was stressing it.
I have a zotac amp core since 1/2 year... 2050/6000 mhz only buy powertarget button raise. Temps are low. Fps are high. I am fine. The card feels much more wealthy and solid in hand than gigabyte or evga etc...
i dont own the TI version but i have the standard 1080 AMP! exteme (bought it a while back) but to me they seem to have a similar build (physically), and to be honest im in love with my card, i've had 2 Zotac graphics cards (a 240 and a 1080) and i love both of em, my 1080 handles absolutely everything i throw at it, i've been doing some 3d modeling and intensive gaming, i've played for 48 hours and the temps are quite steady, for some games it even manages to cooldown enough to shut the fans off for a bit *while playing* (granted this are games 2/3 years old). I absolutely recommend Zotac i like the sturdiness of their cards and the reliability, it is a tad too big for my taste but whatever, personal opinion. To everyone concerned about getting the card after this review: fret not, it is a good card and you made the right choice buying it, treat her well and she will fulfill every desire you have.
Just to let steve know----- My ZOTAC 1080TI AMP EXTREME is still going strong in 2021. Never gets above 65 degrees temp and STILL runs a constant 2012mhz clock speed. I did want to upgrade to a 30 series but am not going to pay scalper pricing especially when my (11GB VRAM) 1080TI Amp extreme still kicks ass at 1440p res
considering evga had the same issue with one of their previous cards and brushed it off. Somehow this company gets crapped on for basically the same thing EVGA was guilty of. Best PC channel needs to be completely unbiased.
Great job GN! Love your videos. They're all so detailed, professional and helpful. Keep up the good work! I would like to see some cards from the Galax aka KFA2 here since you guys are the only ones who does reviews like this ;p
I just bought one of these before I saw this video. Would you recommend removing the back plate AND your thermal pad mod or just one or the other? Also where can I buy thermal pads? Thanks for your help.
Think you need to get a Palit Super Jetstream GTX 1080ti for testing, that is a massive card.Touble is they are mostly Europe, Asia & Asustralia + NZ stuff, but would be a great add in to compare.
I wanted to buy the Zotac (on the used market). However I saw so many offerings that were "not working, for parts only" I was discouraged. I got the GIGABYTE Auros 1080ti extreme and couldn't be happier with the performance and peace of mind. Brilliant cooling system on the GIGABYTE
Thank you for adressing this issue. I had not one, but two Zotac 980 ti Amp Extreme from the previous generation where the mosfets burnt up due to lack of proper cooling. I will be thinking twice before choosing Zotac again.
Commenting on an old video as I am considering buying a zotac 1080ti due to all other cards being out of stock due to the increased popularity of bitcoin mining.. How thick was the thermal pad replacement that you placed on top of the VRAM Heatsink? I was planning on doing the mod.
I must have received a special AMP Extreme. I've had SC2 and FTW3 and temps no where near as low as this card. As far as the VRM, I've had this card for 3 months and it has been running 100% utilized 24/7 for mining the whole time when I'm not gaming. I'ts 54C with an ambient of 24C no issues yet. I have always respected your reviews, but this one really seems to hold a Zotac grudge. If the VRM temps were an issue at least on my card I would think I would have seen it by now with 2160 continuous hours of 100% GPU utilization.
Im sure your hours of FET and VRAM testing with high tech temp monitoring equipment proves that you are correct......oh wait you didn't do those things?
Mason Chappell 2160 hours of in production testing or a couple hours with some meters. When the EVGA VRM was catching fire he was doing damage control for EVGA. Search his videos, you will see
you won't get a reply because people are idiots who tend to believe what a single reviewer has to say. He could have said The EVGA FTW3 card makes your sex life better, and they would believe him...
Thanks for the review! I own this card, so it's always interesting to see what others opinions are. Due to my case fan setup, I can run the GPU's fans at 20-40% under load, with it never going above 60c.
I must be amazingly lucky based on what I'm hearing in this video. My card is dead quiet, even with my ear right next to my case. It never goes above 60c with my fan curve, and I have it OC'd fairly high. Should I worry about my card not lasting 3-4 years of constant OC'd use ?
Gamers Nexus I get that. Do I have anything to worry about regarding long term usage? I don't think I do, but I'll admit my knowledge regarding this topic isn't very good. Should I look into doing the thermal pad mod that you did to extend the lifespan of my card? Thanks again for the great content. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This is the first channel I go to for accurate data. You have yet to let me down in any way.
Keep case ambient within reason and you'll be fine. You'd only need to worry about cap temperatures if you were running a warm / hot case in a high ambient environment. If your case has good airflow, you should be just fine.
Alright, so I'm perfectly fine. I figured that was the case, but I had to be certain. Thanks for responding as quickly as you did. I've ordered some thermal pads so I can do the thermal pad mod from the video. Again, many thanks for the work that you do.
It feels so nice knowing I bought the best air cooled 1080 ti on the market. I love my Strix 1080 ti. This Zotac card does look really cool but the Strix also looks really nice and the thermals and noise on it are so incredibly good.
No issues with this card. With light overclock I can hit a 180% on userbenchmark. That is against the average score of 156 for the card. Mine is both bigger and better.
I think the main cause of the high VRM temp is the sheer number of it. The provided heatsink is easily saturated by those VRMs. That heatsink would've been adequate if the VRM is halved or max 3/4 of that.
What you have shown is a very detailed review of thermal results which is very impressive. Unfortunately, the most important part which is the performance result wasn't done properly. If you said that their performance is almost the same with each other then at least you should run graphics results in which we will know which of them excel in particular application, games and benchmark. Consumers like myself depends mostly on reviewers like you, please be fair when you review the products.
Well testing that isn't really worth much as all of 1080ti performs within margin of error of each other and the quality of the chip they get matters more than anything else provided nobody screws anything up massively
Wondering if you've got the best or worse gpu is some regards is easier than ever via the power of the internet and people like GamersNexus, hard to pull a fast one or throw gimmicks at customers anymore. Thank you for the work you do guys! Great content! 🐱
You usually use something reflective (e.g. aluminium tape) to prevent the component underneath the something reflective from heat, so that backplate isn't only trapping heat but also reflecting it back at the PCB. Zotac, you can have both form and function, and should at that price.
I bought the MSI GTX1080Ti Armor OC because there is a plate on the VRMs and memory, so installing my Accelero Xtreme III was literally like this: Remove the stock Armor OC cooler by unscrewing the 4 screws, then install the Accelero Xtreme III with its 4 screws. I had the Xtreme III still laying around so for me it was a no brainer ;)
I think that there is one important missing test: core clock under load normalized at 40dBA. or gaming performance/3DMark banchmarks at 40dBA. Other than that, great review!
Forgive me, I'm fairly new to computer hardware but I'm curious. Were you using two 1mm thick thermal pads on the heatsink? Do you recommend using a thermal pad between the PCB and back plate on the zotac?
I have this card and this review seems very biased and bashful, this card is actually amazing. Constantly running cold as can be with a 2050 overclock, these guys are insane.
speaking on the hot backplate issue ... i remember aiming a small fan towards the backplate of my asus gtx780 poseidon (only aircooled) and it helped noticeably with the card's temps.
Ha! its interesting that they finally put the rubber noise dampening,its not useless.On their last 980ti when fans were at 50% the vibration was so strong that was shaking my whole desk,I had to return the card,glad they fixed it with this one
Hey Steve, I noticed that you don't have any charts in the video or on the article for the opposite of normalized for noise ones - normalized temperature for seeing how loud each card is a bit easier. Perhaps an X/Y sort of graph would be good for that? I feel like I've seen charts like that before, probably in your CPU AIO reviews, but I think it'd be really handy for GPUs too! I want the quietest 1080Ti I can get and it looks like it might be the STRIX but I've heard conflicting reports and don't want to thermal throttle while OCing - which would be solved by a Hybrid card, if it weren't for the pumps apparently being rather loud and nonadjustable. Thanks for any help.
Something isnt right here, I've seen multiple benchmark videos and have talked to multiple people who own this card and they say their card doesn't get that hot and the performance is a little better than the other cards so what gives?
Reminds me what Palit/Gainward did: "Hey, we got the coolest and quietest 1070 and 1080 on the market! Now lets use counter-rotating dual fans and reduce the cooling fins for the 1080 it!"
I have the Zotac GTX 1080ti AMP! Extreme and would like to inquire about what size thermal pad I should get to replace the rubber bumper as well as what I could add to the back of the PCB to improve cooling.
I have had this card in my entertainment ctr pc (backup) pc since I got my 3080 12gig and then 4080. Did the vrm thermal pad change per this vid also cut out a bunch of ventilation holes in the backplate. Card has been perfect this whole time.
I wonder why Zotac made this design, they clearly know other company's temp and they still made this bigger one...? Look at the huge filter, it suppose to be way cooler that some other card. Thanks for the video!
I took one look at that card and was like wtf drugs were they even fucking on when they designed that thing. LOL. As you pointed out, merely adding thermal pads between separated heatsinks made it noticeably better. Even better would be to design the big heatsink so it actually directly touches everything it needs to with a cold plate, with the fin stacks taking the remainder of the space. Every other card on the market got that right. Literally. EVERY other card on the market got that right.
My zotac 1080ti amp extreme is still going strong, runs at a constant 2012 MHz clock and stays well below 65 degrees. On the other hand my other rig with an EVGA 980ti SC ACX Cooled is now running on cpu graphics as the EVGA 980ti is completely dead, Just out of its 3 year warranty.
Next guide should be about your hair bruh and how to achieve it next to perfection. I'm pretty sure many are curious about that. Edit: Love your vids and your thorough analysis. Keep up the great work :)
Do you guys think you could do the msi duke 1080 ti? I occasionally see that card drop in price because it isn't as popular but due to the armor card I am worried that it may have temperature issues. You guys will be the first to my knowledge to take an in-depth look at the card for your viewers.
im buying a gtx 1080ti this weekend(blackfryday/cyber monday) but i dont know which one to buy im looking at the $750 or less range but not to many choices so is this card going to fry itself if i buy it or can i count on it lasting ATLEAST a year not counting ya know something else frying it
Weird because I have the AMP non extreme and they have metal back plate and I get none of these problems. But you forgot the biggest reason to go for Zotac and that's the 5 year warranty.
I find it difficult to take this review seriously when an excuse was made for msi and the armor 1080 ti while this card gets torn to shreds for some vrm Temps that aren't even dangerous. Msi should be ruined for the msi armor.
I'm convinced Gamers Nexus just got a bad card here. I run this card with a custom fan curve and a little extra custom OC and I never break 70C even on a heavy load. It just sucks that this is the video they present to the world when it doesn't accurately represent what Zotac's 1080 Ti Amp Extreme is capable of.
It's obviously sponsored video! I'm upgrading different video cards for 15 years now. The last superb card from asus was 980ti Strix. But the Asus 1080Ti Strix is such a bad product. A terrible plastic shroud, ugly RGB strips and very loud fans even on a low rpm compared to Zotac 1080 Ti AMP Extreme. I had these both cards, and i chose Zotac, because it is a way way better. The fan is quitest i ever seen on video card, i cant even hear it on heavy load. The max temperature hits only 64 celsius. The hot vram, hmmm, maybe it's because already overclocked by manufacture, maybe because it's the fastest card out of the box on the market? Try to overcklock Asus or EVGA to 2000Mhz and check temperature of the components, i think you'll be surprised. Zotac 1080Ti AMP Extreme is the best on the market by now and someone does not like the fact! P.S Sorry for my english
Hi again! I'm sure Steve is a nice guy, and i do not want to hurt the feelings, but c'mon placing a thermal pad on top of the VRM heatsing which is should be cooled only by air!!! And besides that trying to merge thermal pad with main heatsink's "grill"??? Really?? This is ridiculous! Yes, this rubber pad is absolutely worthless and prevents of sufficient air flow ant it must be removed, but placing a thermal pad between these two, OMG! Idea about VRM separate heatsing is brilliant! Why? Because VRM max temperature is about 125C, in this case temperature is 98C and if it would be connected to main heatsing it would raise a temperature of GPU. VRM do not throttle so why to worry about it? it is better to keep a lower temperature of GPU! So i think it is perfect solution by Zotac. I like the coolest GPU temperatures on the market and the quietest fans i've ever heard! Greatly better than Asus Strix!
Erik B Toms hardware telling, that fans spin in high rpm and arr noisy. Another bulshit! It spins max 800rpm, sometimes reaches 1000rpm and this is quietest card i've ever heard. I'm silent freak, believe me!
Hey man, a question, I got the ZOTAC AMP Xtreme, since this one was quite cheaper, got it fot 750$, and the Asus is at 1000k right now, so, the FET temp, of mine is about 100 C, I know is within the range, but my question is, does this high temp increase the chance of burning the card or decreases the lifespan of the card? ty
Gamers Nexus is biased as fuck. It's not the first time you bash Zotac, i remember your "Do not buy Zotac vid" because you got a bad chip. Meanwhile i bought a Zotac 1080 and it never goes above 73C with 70% fans and 30C ambient, overclocking itself to 1962 Mhz without me touching anything. For everybody here: watch more reviews and stats of your hardware product you wanna buy before you do it, don't buy or not something because one guy tells you so.
Cool but chips differ considerably and he may have gotten a bad one and you a average or good one he may have got a average one and you got a good or you are just measuring different points and loads
those 40db charts are da real MVP. other "reviewers" just let fans runn at auto tell you "look, its is 65C, good" and segway to dozen of gaming performance charts and conclusions like "this card is good for 4K @ 60 or 1440p 120fps" (which are pointless if they have reviewed at least one gtx 1080 ti before)
Very happy with the Asus ROG Strix 1080Ti acoustic and temp levels. (y) I usually hear nothing but praise from the Zotac branded cards but that seems to be different this time around.
It feels a bit weird to me for putting that rubber on top of the MOSFET, are they just giving up on cooling the MOSFET so that all cooling can be directed to the gpu, would VRM be the limiting factor for overclocking in this case?
so should i buy a ti or just 1080 and also where can i buy it cos idk about ebay or amazon bcos i feel like i could get scammed so yh do you have links to shops
any chance for InWin 101 case? and also if you do it can you please try to fit 360 rad in bottom. this case seems to be better with cooling then rest of the closed-front cases
Hey steve I have this exact card, if the VRM's/etc end up failing would i still be covered by zotac and just be able to get my money back? because i wouldnt want another if it does end up dying (might even invest in putting thermal pads on over the rubber strip)
Article here: www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/2981-zotac-1080ti-amp-extreme-review
Gamers Nexus I actually considering to buy this after I sold my 1070, is it realy that bad?
I was one click away until I saw your video, should I get another card?
sooo should we just get a boring blower founders edition instead? 😊
keep up the good work, it is surprisingly hard to find good reviewers that don't just do glorified unboxings with a few benchmarks on top, but reviewers that actually do research and point out flaws in the product design.
is this card are the new one? "core edition" ZOTAC ZT-P10810F?!!
Gamers Nexus yujiro loves you Mr Burke
I really want to express my appreciation for your guys' lack of bias. You hammered Zotac a little bit, but not because they're Zotac. You saw the numbers and (in terms of their VRM cooling solution) saw that their cooling solution is inadequate for the price point. No agenda or brand loyalty, just numbers and cooling design. More youtubers need to learn from you.
Trogdor8freebird Thanks, Trogdor8freebird!
Trogdor8freebird see a lot of youtbers would get sent this card by the company, Steve will get them even if the company won't send them, so he will give an honest review, even if it doesn't favor the companies best interest.
Hammered Zotac because they wont give him a test card. I mean really the EVGA's 1080's VRM actually caught fire and he had all kinds of videos defending them. Payola
I appreciate this review. Until recently, Zotac has been really good about cooling and design. They deserved this hit to the head.
TheGlenlivetXXV wasn't the evga thing just one of their lines og cards?
Eventually we're going to need a complete list of all the failed cooler attempts from all the companies.
Great Work Guys :D
Would make for an amazing video.
Remember the motherboards with several heat pipes and tons of copper heatsink fins all over the place?
older stuff puts out more heat. those older motherboards kinda needed that stuff...
My take on the old motherboards is function over design and RGB-bullshit
I love how people think this is a bad cooler design. Do other ones include the VRM? Yes. Does this matter? No. GN has stated many times that VRM temps do NOT matter so long as they're within spec(See the EVGA drama videos posted on this channel). This card, at 2Ghz, always runs under 60c under synthetic loads under a custom fan curve that never goes above 40% fan speed. Maybe I have the best example of this card, but the amount of negativity towards it is not right in the slightest. Again, with the EVGA drama, GN stated many times that the temps did not matter. I do not understand why their opinion has reversed so severely regarding this card, but I will ask them if I get the chance.
whit3emperor I dunno... considering the results with a cooler that obnoxiously big I'd say this is a failure...
This channel is a diamond in the rough. No other channel I've come across gives the technical details like these guys do. Please don't ever stop.
Why don't they just engineer a good card to start with and then let the marketing dept figure out how to sell it rather than the other way around?
ones cheaper and sells the same as the latter
They thought because the giant cooling on their 980ti helped make it the fastest on the market they could just slap one on the 1080ti.
Oh, zotac also overclock the vram on this card while no other board partner does.
I made diy VRM heatsink!
Pictures:
ibb.co/yXfW8mY
ibb.co/Dz74Cpg
ibb.co/dc4HBQB
Holy shit, Zotac is going to need some thermal pads for the burn Steve delivered ;)
AspLode u made my day lol!! thnx
Perfect :)
We need GN to correct the ill practices of the industry. Thnx guys, the work you guys do is invaluable to combat marketing bluff we are fed.
Stated a couple times that the 1080 Tis are more or less the same. Not a very scientific way of stating they are equal. They are not equal in performance. The Zotac will beat every GTX 1080 Ti in gaming benchmarks. Despite the higher temperatures on the FET and VRAM, this card did not thermal throttle in clock or memory speed. Everyday gaming conditions you will never see these temperatures being shown here. I only saw thermals that high when running FurMark with all the other case fans disabled so I could gauge the sound levels of the fans. The cooling solution on this card is not the most ideal. However, if at any point the card was pushing very dangerous levels, the card would thermal throttle. I never saw the fans go over 69%, nor the core over 71C while running FurMark continuously for an hour. I'm sure the FETs and VRAM were cooking nicely as well. Clock and memory speeds didn't throttle. Like I stated earlier, you'll never put that much stress on the card gaming. Even if you could, the card is designed to thermal throttle to prevent destroying components. Pretty sure the devs did their homework and pushed the limits on this one a bit further than any of the other 3rd party manufacturers. Just because you don't like the looks of the temperatures involved, doesn't mean they aren't reasonable/feasible. Yes EVGA dropped the ball on the ACX cards last year, but I'm sure all the other R&D departments are learning greatly and are improving as a result. Your in-depth analysis was great. I like how you addressed the thermals in the different components and sections of the card. I just feel that unless you have a degree in electronic engineering, you should state a little more clearly what is your opinion and what is fact. People will take your video as fact. The only facts in this video presented were the temperatures and fan noises. Other than that, it's purely up to how you 'feel' about it. I love the channel, keep the videos coming. Much < 3.
Why the most important factor with gpu boost in play is simply a game of getting good silicone which aics don't control
I've always respected this channel, and (in the past) really received great advice. I went against the grain so to speak and bought this card anyway. As I watched all hardware reviews even JaysTwoCents on the original 1080 AMP. Which were nothing but glowing. After about half a year of consistent heavy use, I can safely say I'm glad I ignored your findings. I don't know what your testing method was, or how that came into play but I've never come close to the results you show here. In some cases, you were off by double digits! In most cases even extended 8-hour sessions of gaming the fans remained completely off. Sitting pretty at 49c! Water cool levels. I think the card you received may have been defective? Or the case you had it in was completely covered and off? Ether way I have never come close to 90c on the vrms the hint was it was performing worse then FE card. Not that you can find one for a decent price right now, but this card is just about the best 1080ti out there.
Thanks! Due to your comment i did watch the test of PC Games ruclips.net/video/l-PqwLxwlo8/видео.html There it is the best performing card in the 1080ti line up :)
This card is a damn beast. GN must've gotten a lemon for this review. Like you, my experience with this card has been great. Thermals are low and performance is insane.
I have this card its a beast
Something tells me you won't be on Zotac's Christmas card list this year. Again.
I am curious about the design of Zotac's Mini cards though. Not many manufacturers attempt to create such cards, let alone for the 1080 Ti. I wonder if the Zotac minis are designed better than their AMP cards, or if they just suck as well and Zotac thought they were good enough to release anyway.
Them getting pissed off and acting like little bitches about it (no longer sending samples etc.) just makes them look so much worse. Any company can make mistakes, that's fine. If a site like GN points out a flaw or weakness in your product, they should treat it as an opportunity to improve. Look at how EVGA handled the ACX3.0 VRM cooling issue, that's exactly how it should be done.
I have this card. I like it because it works, and is quiet. Turned off the lights with firestorm, turned the fan off stop so it doesn't spin up randomly... set the fan curve.. and away you go. I don' t hear it in my computer even after going through the bios and tuning all the fans. Find a place that has a return policy, and give it a go. Honestly think this review was done with a lemon card.. which can happen.
alexp247365 my firestorm won't work on it... What version have you instaled?
Just an update, My Zotac 1080ti Amp Extreme is still working great in 2022 and keeps a solid and constant 2012mhz core clock speed. And it does not exceed 65 degrees temp. The Zotac has hands down been the best value and longest lasting GPU i have owned and has well outlasted my previous EVGA 980ti.
bro we need a 2023 update
Yeah I just bought a preowned because my 1070 took a crap but I bought this same card because I’m broke and just needed something at least a little better then what I had and cheap. Hopefully I get a few years out of it
@@WackDance My Zotac 1080ti Amp Extreme stills runs cool at a solid 2012mhz in 2023. Paid 750 UK pounds back in 2017. Been a great card. Now have a ZOTAC RTX 4090 Amp Extreme Airo. Which also runs really cool. The 1080ti is now used in my sons Pc
@@williammarshall9230Well if its been properly looked after like my Zotac 1080ti, then you should have no issues with the card
Thats a nice core clock i recently got a refurbished zotac amp edition not the extreme it boosts to 1830mhz and hovers around 80c 2 fans only lol
Great video, keep up the great job.
Sam Johnson Thanks!
Gamers Nexus wow good vid bit late as already had this card 2 months what did you get your overclock to as the mem
thomas edwards I've gotten my memory oc to +625mhz but unfortunately gpu core won't even run at the factory overclock. I have to underclock it 20mhz
I mean the AMP extreme does comes factory over clocked higher than any 1080ti. What I would recommend is to put a stock FE bios on each card and have them all run at the same fan speed to really see which one does a better job of cooling. This test is pretty much like comparing an FE 1080 to a FE 1080ti. Like no shit the 1080ti runs hotter, its more power hungry just like the AMP card is compared to the Strix and EVGA etc. cards. And I'm not saying to not include the out of the box settings benchmarks, I mean most people aren't really gonna change the bios and set up a fan curve for the GPU but for the ones that are(like myself), it would be a nice touch to see which cooler truly does the best job.
is it me or its just so nervewracking to see the cards next to each other on the edge of the table while it shakes
Especially the FTW3 at the very end, after he picked it up and put it back down it was shaking every time he bumped the table. Just a slightly more forceful bump and this would have turned into a Linus video :)
IsakH85 LMAO y e s
That's the "resort" of not being careful! If you know what I mean lol
Deabo There are many close calls! Especially when filming near Snowflake.
still, it's a hell of a lot safer to leave them there than to let linus hold them
7:20 you are hugely mistaken mate, this is running at 1.65ghz out of the box, so it’s running a lot cooler than all the other cards out there at the same speed.
Also the fans don’t spin on this card until it hits 60 degrees. This has to be one of the worse fuck up videos I’ve seen around.
Agreed. I to have this card and the fans almost never even come on for me. Handles anything I throw at it and I don't think I've seen temps break 50c unless I was stressing it.
Mine keep a good stable 35°C while hard gaming... No problem with mine...
me too. mine has no problem of such
>Biggest Heatsink
>the hottest card
step it up zotac
In the test of PC Games Hardware this is the best performing and coolest card in the 1080ti line up ruclips.net/video/l-PqwLxwlo8/видео.html
the amp edition are horrible cards, should of just stick with standard pcb
Izzat Ishak why? I am a user of 1080 AMP, runs great for two years. Perfect card for me.
I don’t get over 70c for me it has good cooling I play rust and fortnite
I have a zotac amp core since 1/2 year... 2050/6000 mhz only buy powertarget button raise.
Temps are low.
Fps are high.
I am fine.
The card feels much more wealthy and solid in hand than gigabyte or evga etc...
i dont own the TI version but i have the standard 1080 AMP! exteme (bought it a while back) but to me they seem to have a similar build (physically), and to be honest im in love with my card, i've had 2 Zotac graphics cards (a 240 and a 1080) and i love both of em, my 1080 handles absolutely everything i throw at it, i've been doing some 3d modeling and intensive gaming, i've played for 48 hours and the temps are quite steady, for some games it even manages to cooldown enough to shut the fans off for a bit *while playing* (granted this are games 2/3 years old).
I absolutely recommend Zotac i like the sturdiness of their cards and the reliability, it is a tad too big for my taste but whatever, personal opinion.
To everyone concerned about getting the card after this review: fret not, it is a good card and you made the right choice buying it, treat her well and she will fulfill every desire you have.
Just to let steve know----- My ZOTAC 1080TI AMP EXTREME is still going strong in 2021. Never gets above 65 degrees temp and STILL runs a constant 2012mhz clock speed. I did want to upgrade to a 30 series but am not going to pay scalper pricing especially when my (11GB VRAM) 1080TI Amp extreme still kicks ass at 1440p res
Why you guys haven't hit 1 million subscribers yet is an absolute crime. You have the best PC tech channel out there.
Keep up the great work!
considering evga had the same issue with one of their previous cards and brushed it off. Somehow this company gets crapped on for basically the same thing EVGA was guilty of. Best PC channel needs to be completely unbiased.
Great job GN! Love your videos. They're all so detailed, professional and helpful. Keep up the good work!
I would like to see some cards from the Galax aka KFA2 here since you guys are the only ones who does reviews like this ;p
I just bought one of these before I saw this video. Would you recommend removing the back plate AND your thermal pad mod or just one or the other? Also where can I buy thermal pads? Thanks for your help.
Think you need to get a Palit Super Jetstream GTX 1080ti for testing, that is a massive card.Touble is they are mostly Europe, Asia & Asustralia + NZ stuff, but would be a great add in to compare.
The amount of quality and depth you put into your videos is amazing, keep up the good work. 👍
This is now my favorite tech channel. The quality of your reviews are astounding.
I wanted to buy the Zotac (on the used market). However I saw so many offerings that were "not working, for parts only" I was discouraged. I got the GIGABYTE Auros 1080ti extreme and couldn't be happier with the performance and peace of mind. Brilliant cooling system on the GIGABYTE
The dB normalized temperature measurements rock! Thanks for the test!
Thank you for adressing this issue. I had not one, but two Zotac 980 ti Amp Extreme from the previous generation where the mosfets burnt up due to lack of proper cooling.
I will be thinking twice before choosing Zotac again.
Great video, superior presentation. Thank you GN team.
Thank you for another top notch review. Your honest and highly detailed reviews are benchmark setting.
Commenting on an old video as I am considering buying a zotac 1080ti due to all other cards being out of stock due to the increased popularity of bitcoin mining..
How thick was the thermal pad replacement that you placed on top of the VRAM Heatsink? I was planning on doing the mod.
Yea i would like to find out to i need one but i dont know what size
I must have received a special AMP Extreme. I've had SC2 and FTW3 and temps no where near as low as this card. As far as the VRM, I've had this card for 3 months and it has been running 100% utilized 24/7 for mining the whole time when I'm not gaming. I'ts 54C with an ambient of 24C no issues yet. I have always respected your reviews, but this one really seems to hold a Zotac grudge. If the VRM temps were an issue at least on my card I would think I would have seen it by now with 2160 continuous hours of 100% GPU utilization.
Im sure your hours of FET and VRAM testing with high tech temp monitoring equipment proves that you are correct......oh wait you didn't do those things?
Mason Chappell 2160 hours of in production testing or a couple hours with some meters. When the EVGA VRM was catching fire he was doing damage control for EVGA. Search his videos, you will see
you won't get a reply because people are idiots who tend to believe what a single reviewer has to say. He could have said The EVGA FTW3 card makes your sex life better, and they would believe him...
Cool i guess you got a good one and VRMS don't tend to fail until a few months in so tough to say so far if this is a problem
Thanks for the review! I own this card, so it's always interesting to see what others opinions are.
Due to my case fan setup, I can run the GPU's fans at 20-40% under load, with it never going above 60c.
I must be amazingly lucky based on what I'm hearing in this video. My card is dead quiet, even with my ear right next to my case. It never goes above 60c with my fan curve, and I have it OC'd fairly high.
Should I worry about my card not lasting 3-4 years of constant OC'd use ?
Dovetale GPU temps are fine. It's the other components that are not effectively cooled.
Gamers Nexus I get that. Do I have anything to worry about regarding long term usage? I don't think I do, but I'll admit my knowledge regarding this topic isn't very good. Should I look into doing the thermal pad mod that you did to extend the lifespan of my card?
Thanks again for the great content. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This is the first channel I go to for accurate data. You have yet to let me down in any way.
Keep case ambient within reason and you'll be fine. You'd only need to worry about cap temperatures if you were running a warm / hot case in a high ambient environment. If your case has good airflow, you should be just fine.
Alright, so I'm perfectly fine. I figured that was the case, but I had to be certain. Thanks for responding as quickly as you did. I've ordered some thermal pads so I can do the thermal pad mod from the video. Again, many thanks for the work that you do.
It feels so nice knowing I bought the best air cooled 1080 ti on the market. I love my Strix 1080 ti. This Zotac card does look really cool but the Strix also looks really nice and the thermals and noise on it are so incredibly good.
As usual nicely done!
No issues with this card. With light overclock I can hit a 180% on userbenchmark. That is against the average score of 156 for the card. Mine is both bigger and better.
i have to commend you guys on the title not being clickbait and actually just saying the review upfront.
I think the main cause of the high VRM temp is the sheer number of it. The provided heatsink is easily saturated by those VRMs. That heatsink would've been adequate if the VRM is halved or max 3/4 of that.
What you have shown is a very detailed review of thermal results which is very impressive. Unfortunately, the most important part which is the performance result wasn't done properly. If you said that their performance is almost the same with each other then at least you should run graphics results in which we will know which of them excel in particular application, games and benchmark. Consumers like myself depends mostly on reviewers like you, please be fair when you review the products.
Well testing that isn't really worth much as all of 1080ti performs within margin of error of each other and the quality of the chip they get matters more than anything else provided nobody screws anything up massively
Wondering if you've got the best or worse gpu is some regards is easier than ever via the power of the internet and people like GamersNexus, hard to pull a fast one or throw gimmicks at customers anymore. Thank you for the work you do guys! Great content! 🐱
You usually use something reflective (e.g. aluminium tape) to prevent the component underneath the something reflective from heat, so that backplate isn't only trapping heat but also reflecting it back at the PCB.
Zotac, you can have both form and function, and should at that price.
Update 2023..I bought my 1080ti amp extreme in 2017 and am still using it today. Never had any problems with the card
I still do love my Zotac GTX 980 Ti AMP Extreme.
I bought the MSI GTX1080Ti Armor OC because there is a plate on the VRMs and memory, so installing my Accelero Xtreme III was literally like this: Remove the stock Armor OC cooler by unscrewing the 4 screws, then install the Accelero Xtreme III with its 4 screws. I had the Xtreme III still laying around so for me it was a no brainer ;)
I think that there is one important missing test: core clock under load normalized at 40dBA. or gaming performance/3DMark banchmarks at 40dBA.
Other than that, great review!
I love "old" tech videos!
and that is why i got evga gear, not to mention their amazing support
Forgive me, I'm fairly new to computer hardware but I'm curious. Were you using two 1mm thick thermal pads on the heatsink? Do you recommend using a thermal pad between the PCB and back plate on the zotac?
thank you for fair reviews. in our country, the zotac 1080 ti hovers around $900 (converted) - something that expensive should be better designed.
I have this card and this review seems very biased and bashful, this card is actually amazing. Constantly running cold as can be with a 2050 overclock, these guys are insane.
speaking on the hot backplate issue ... i remember aiming a small fan towards the backplate of my asus gtx780 poseidon (only aircooled) and it helped noticeably with the card's temps.
Ha! its interesting that they finally put the rubber noise dampening,its not useless.On their last 980ti when fans were at 50% the vibration was so strong that was shaking my whole desk,I had to return the card,glad they fixed it with this one
Doesn't make contact with anything. A thermal pad would achieve the same, would bridge contact if done right, and would reduce temperatures.
But the rubber does not touch anything! How would it help with vibration?
You really deserve more Subs!
Hey Steve, I noticed that you don't have any charts in the video or on the article for the opposite of normalized for noise ones - normalized temperature for seeing how loud each card is a bit easier. Perhaps an X/Y sort of graph would be good for that? I feel like I've seen charts like that before, probably in your CPU AIO reviews, but I think it'd be really handy for GPUs too!
I want the quietest 1080Ti I can get and it looks like it might be the STRIX but I've heard conflicting reports and don't want to thermal throttle while OCing - which would be solved by a Hybrid card, if it weren't for the pumps apparently being rather loud and nonadjustable. Thanks for any help.
if you want the best silence money can buy go for a custom loop
Is it that bad?i was thinking of buying this one because of the higher factory clocks
Steve, is that "thermal resorts" line your way of teasing a future GamersNexus episode set at a Japanese onsen? With plenty of fanservice? 😏
I have it zero issues at all.
I love how Steve is completely collected and emotionally uniform even when he is blasting a product. It makes the burn even harder.
Awesome video! Thank you so much!
I'm really keen on seeing the Asus 1080 Ti Poseidon review by Gamers Nexus. I'm sure you guys would do it just right.
Something isnt right here, I've seen multiple benchmark videos and have talked to multiple people who own this card and they say their card doesn't get that hot and the performance is a little better than the other cards so what gives?
SRT WILLSON its true my amp extreme runs cool and outperforms all others 1080 ti... I have no problem with it.
Seems like they fix the issue in later release perhaps?
Reminds me what Palit/Gainward did: "Hey, we got the coolest and quietest 1070 and 1080 on the market! Now lets use counter-rotating dual fans and reduce the cooling fins for the 1080 it!"
I'd love to see volcanic lava events at your thermal resort!
I have the Zotac GTX 1080ti AMP! Extreme and would like to inquire about what size thermal pad I should get to replace the rubber bumper as well as what I could add to the back of the PCB to improve cooling.
Yea i would like to find out to i need one but i dont know what size
I have had this card in my entertainment ctr pc (backup) pc since I got my 3080 12gig and then 4080. Did the vrm thermal pad change per this vid also cut out a bunch of ventilation holes in the backplate. Card has been perfect this whole time.
test the 1080ti HOF edition
Axurzhal house on fire edition?
:)
I wonder why Zotac made this design, they clearly know other company's temp and they still made this bigger one...? Look at the huge filter, it suppose to be way cooler that some other card. Thanks for the video!
I have one. pleased with it. 5 Year warranty so if it cooks.
I took one look at that card and was like wtf drugs were they even fucking on when they designed that thing. LOL. As you pointed out, merely adding thermal pads between separated heatsinks made it noticeably better. Even better would be to design the big heatsink so it actually directly touches everything it needs to with a cold plate, with the fin stacks taking the remainder of the space. Every other card on the market got that right. Literally. EVERY other card on the market got that right.
My zotac 1080ti amp extreme is still going strong, runs at a constant 2012 MHz clock and stays well below 65 degrees. On the other hand my other rig with an EVGA 980ti SC ACX Cooled is now running on cpu graphics as the EVGA 980ti is completely dead, Just out of its 3 year warranty.
What do you mean that the 980ti is dead ?
I have this card and mine never gets close to this hot. I have not seen it hit 80 celsius, maybe I am not pushing it enough.
I always use 72-78% cooler-is it worth worrying? The case is open
Next guide should be about your hair bruh and how to achieve it next to perfection. I'm pretty sure many are curious about that.
Edit: Love your vids and your thorough analysis. Keep up the great work :)
That pcb layout looks so clean...
thanks for doing the work u do. but where dat Vega hybrid at dawg?
This makes me all the happier I went with the FTW3. Not the #1 coolest among possible cards but the build quality is top notch.
Do you guys think you could do the msi duke 1080 ti? I occasionally see that card drop in price because it isn't as popular but due to the armor card I am worried that it may have temperature issues. You guys will be the first to my knowledge to take an in-depth look at the card for your viewers.
That is very very similar to the gaming x so it should be fine
im buying a gtx 1080ti this weekend(blackfryday/cyber monday) but i dont know which one to buy im looking at the $750 or less range but not to many choices so is this card going to fry itself if i buy it or can i count on it lasting ATLEAST a year not counting ya know something else frying it
Wow. I am surprised how poorly this amp extreme performed. It is normally the best air cooled solution. Nice review.
and I almost bought this thing...
Noble Savage If there's a time we haven't reviewed something you want, feel free to tweet a request!
Gamers Nexus Gamers Nexus 1080 Ti KPE review. Air, water, and LN2 with Buildzoid.
So what type of gpu I can buy?
If I want to know what's under the skin of a product, Gamers' Nexus is there.
Weird because I have the AMP non extreme and they have metal back plate and I get none of these problems. But you forgot the biggest reason to go for Zotac and that's the 5 year warranty.
I find it difficult to take this review seriously when an excuse was made for msi and the armor 1080 ti while this card gets torn to shreds for some vrm Temps that aren't even dangerous. Msi should be ruined for the msi armor.
I'm convinced Gamers Nexus just got a bad card here. I run this card with a custom fan curve and a little extra custom OC and I never break 70C even on a heavy load. It just sucks that this is the video they present to the world when it doesn't accurately represent what Zotac's 1080 Ti Amp Extreme is capable of.
Brandon Campbell what’s your fan curve ? I’m getting this card soon
a highest clocked 1080ti on the market and you are saying it is hotter than other cards. Of course, not shit. wtf is this review?
It's obviously sponsored video! I'm upgrading different video cards for 15 years now. The last superb card from asus was 980ti Strix. But the Asus 1080Ti Strix is such a bad product. A terrible plastic shroud, ugly RGB strips and very loud fans even on a low rpm compared to Zotac 1080 Ti AMP Extreme. I had these both cards, and i chose Zotac, because it is a way way better. The fan is quitest i ever seen on video card, i cant even hear it on heavy load. The max temperature hits only 64 celsius. The hot vram, hmmm, maybe it's because already overclocked by manufacture, maybe because it's the fastest card out of the box on the market?
Try to overcklock Asus or EVGA to 2000Mhz and check temperature of the components, i think you'll be surprised. Zotac 1080Ti AMP Extreme is the best on the market by now and someone does not like the fact! P.S Sorry for my english
Hi again! I'm sure Steve is a nice guy, and i do not want to hurt the feelings, but c'mon placing a thermal pad on top of the VRM heatsing which is should be cooled only by air!!! And besides that trying to merge thermal pad with main heatsink's "grill"??? Really?? This is ridiculous! Yes, this rubber pad is absolutely worthless and prevents of sufficient air flow ant it must be removed, but placing a thermal pad between these two, OMG! Idea about VRM separate heatsing is brilliant! Why? Because VRM max temperature is about 125C, in this case temperature is 98C and if it would be connected to main heatsing it would raise a temperature of GPU. VRM do not throttle so why to worry about it? it is better to keep a lower temperature of GPU! So i think it is perfect solution by Zotac. I like the coolest GPU temperatures on the market and the quietest fans i've ever heard! Greatly better than Asus Strix!
My Zotac sample is totally stable at 2050Mhz without increasing a voltage!
tomshardware report same issue: www.tomshardware.com/reviews/zotac-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-amp-extreme,5055-6.html just saying
Erik B Toms hardware telling, that fans spin in high rpm and arr noisy. Another bulshit! It spins max 800rpm, sometimes reaches 1000rpm and this is quietest card i've ever heard. I'm silent freak, believe me!
Maybe but you might have just gotten a lucky card
Hey man, a question, I got the ZOTAC AMP Xtreme, since this one was quite cheaper, got it fot 750$, and the Asus is at 1000k right now, so, the FET temp, of mine is about 100 C, I know is within the range, but my question is, does this high temp increase the chance of burning the card or decreases the lifespan of the card? ty
Gamers Nexus is biased as fuck. It's not the first time you bash Zotac, i remember your "Do not buy Zotac vid" because you got a bad chip.
Meanwhile i bought a Zotac 1080 and it never goes above 73C with 70% fans and 30C ambient, overclocking itself to 1962 Mhz without me touching anything.
For everybody here: watch more reviews and stats of your hardware product you wanna buy before you do it, don't buy or not something because one guy tells you so.
shadowq2 congrats you got a good card..i used to have a Amp 1080 and its burning hot!
Cool but chips differ considerably and he may have gotten a bad one and you a average or good one he may have got a average one and you got a good or you are just measuring different points and loads
those 40db charts are da real MVP. other "reviewers" just let fans runn at auto tell you "look, its is 65C, good" and segway to dozen of gaming performance charts and conclusions like "this card is good for 4K @ 60 or 1440p 120fps" (which are pointless if they have reviewed at least one gtx 1080 ti before)
Very happy with the Asus ROG Strix 1080Ti acoustic and temp levels. (y) I usually hear nothing but praise from the Zotac branded cards but that seems to be different this time around.
It feels a bit weird to me for putting that rubber on top of the MOSFET, are they just giving up on cooling the MOSFET so that all cooling can be directed to the gpu, would VRM be the limiting factor for overclocking in this case?
I lost 5 year of life watching the FTW3 wobble near the edge of the table...
so should i buy a ti or just 1080 and also where can i buy it cos idk about ebay or amazon bcos i feel like i could get scammed so yh do you have links to shops
Can you PLEASE make vid how you actually do the thermal testing ,
the gear that you use ,
how can we do similar tests as you guys
any chance for InWin 101 case? and also if you do it can you please try to fit 360 rad in bottom. this case seems to be better with cooling then rest of the closed-front cases
It's clear that the Extreme in the name means "Extreme Temperature".
I have a 1070 AMP Extreme and it's great, 2154MHz @ 60c, silent. But I am upgrading to a 1080 Ti and now looking at the Strix.
XAgent 2150 MHz on a 1070? I can't even get 2100 on the 1080 version of the same card.
Hey steve I have this exact card, if the VRM's/etc end up failing would i still be covered by zotac and just be able to get my money back? because i wouldnt want another if it does end up dying (might even invest in putting thermal pads on over the rubber strip)
also, how thick were your thermal pads? thanks!