Phase transition pad on the GPU
I will now also analyze the thermal conduction materials of the MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Gaming Trio and it is pleasing that quality is now important, which is also shown by the use of a phase transition pad instead of cheaper thermal paste. The OEM pad used is a durable thermal pad based on phase transition materials. It remains solid at room temperature and becomes liquid once at operating temperatures, allowing it to optimally fill the gaps between the GPU and the cooling device.
This enables improved heat transfer by minimizing thermal resistance. The material is often used in high-end graphics cards to ensure consistent cooling performance and efficient dissipation of heat generated by the GPU. At over 6 W/mK, this durable and silicon-free pad is a better solution than almost all available pastes. Since I only found remnants on the GPU, I’m using my own measurement of an unused, identical pad from my archive, as I’ll put it back on during assembly. However, the pad on the MSI card differs slightly from the original PTM7950, which suggests a slightly different polymer.
The thermal pads on the memory modules and the VRM
The assembly is obviously somewhat more favorable. The thermal pad with around 6 W/mK is characterized by its dry, compacted structure, which is reminiscent of thermal putty. This consistency maximizes the contact surface, improves heat transfer and reduces mechanical stress on sensitive components such as VRAM and voltage converters. This significantly reduces the risk of damage or stress cracks. However, the pad contains significantly more zinc oxide and slightly less aluminum oxide.
Analysis of heatsink, heatpipes and cooler
The GPU heatsink is made of pure electrolytic copper and is a central element of the cooling concept. A nickel coating protects the surface from oxidation and increases corrosion resistance, which improves both heat dissipation and durability.
The storage modules are also connected to this heatsink.
The rest of the construction is made of simple aluminum.
That concludes this part and we’ll play another round. Please turn the page once!
