Worse Than We Thought: Fixing the XFX THICC 5700 XT

The XFX THICC RX 5700 XT was the worst 5700-series we looked at, primarily at fault for poor thermal performance and poorly configured fan curves.
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Original review here: • Tear-Down of XFX RX 57...
Buy a GN toolkit here: store.gamersne...
The XFX THICC, ironically, had the biggest issue with its curves. Fan curves, that is. In further testing and attempting to fix the XFX RX 5700 XT THICC (with AMD Navi), we discovered that the plastic embellishments along the PCB also caused issues, as did mounting pressure, thermal paste application, and backplate. Basically everything was causing thermal transfer problems, and that's something we were able to explore in this video of attempted fixes. Not all improved the card, but we did find the important ones that can.
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Editorial, Testing: Steve Burke
Video: Josh Svoboda, Andrew Coleman
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[@GamersNexus]

Watch the original XFX THICC review for more information on this card: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6jGq6CHg62JnNE OTHER PRODUCT FIXES WE'VE DONE: 1: H500P Meshify - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXLdcoJvi7aDo6s (turned into a real product!) 2: MSI EVOKE OC 5700 XT thermal pad fix - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpWmaZ6lo6ikg68 3: Vega Frontier Edition fix - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZO2aJZoesqhbtE 4: GTX 1080 Ti Hybrid fix - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIKQimNumtOBfZI And grab the GN toolkit or modmat at the store: store.gamersnexus.net/

[@Quanalogy]

Hi, I've seen you fix the thermals of many different components now and I thought you could might help me with one of mine. I've got a asrock taichi x570, 3700x, power devil 5700 xt and an pcie 4.0 m.2. My South Bridge temp with just waiting in bios for ~15 mins is 68 degrees celcius - in bios.... While gaming it will reach 76-78. Asrock says its within specs, but with the SB cooler running at 5-6000 rpm it is clearly audible, while the gpu is not. Can you help me figure out how to lower these temps? By the way, have already disassembled the SB and the thermal pads have a mark from the mounting pressure. Hope you can help with some guidance, thanks :-)

[@bobhumplick4213]

how about "kit" cards. best cooler and everything you can get but the customer has to assemble it. i would be game

[@MrYodaylay]

The link to the original review actually links the the tear down. Just a little thing, but thought you should know!

[@GamersNexus]

@@MrYodaylay Thank you!

[@biquiba]

The biggest improvement would be to the factory employees salary. I small increase in the payment and task rotation between workers (in order to mitigate fatigue) would do wonders to increase the laborers number.

[@Liatin1]

“Just buy it and see for yourself” -xfx employee

[@GamersNexus]

Actual quote, by the way.

[@RNG-999]

@@GamersNexus I love that they tried giving you guys shit for reviewing their shitty product honestly.

[@Mr.Thanos_]

well... Sapphire is really good in terms of cooling...and also the PCB Components. i just edited my Nitro+ bios..and oc it ..and temp is same..😊😊

[@DarkLinkAD]

@@GamersNexus Im having Mayhem Pastel Coolant/JayzTwoCents Flashbacks :P

[@truthbetold7771]

Lmaoo

[@SovietRipper]

Steve, stop, stop! He's already dead!

[@or2kr]

He revived it tho

[@sophiaperennis2360]

@@or2kr He is the Dr. Frankenstein of video cards.

[@olaole8315]

He revided it, so that he could kill it again!

[@WinterCharmVT]

Keep going. 🔪

[@HeyImGaminOverHere]

Step one: buy THICC Step two: take off everything manufacturer added making it more efficient. Step three: wonder why you didn't just buy a more efficient card in the first place.

[@PCFixer]

"Could you trim away some of the fat? I distinctly said, 'No fat.'"

[@TechyBen]

Step 3: Post plastic back for a $50 refund??? 4 profit?

[@branchprediction9923]

Step 5: profit¿

[@S3lvah]

I just ordered the DD Ultra (non-XT variant of this card) as it was by far the cheapest AiB 5700 available in my region (seriously, the others cost >40 € more). Might flash it with XT bios (Thicc or AMD reference) at some point if I need a power boost. Are there any downsides or concerns I should be aware of before stripping the plastic off my card?

[@zt9233]

S3lvah was thinking of doing the same thing

[@8man_01]

10:40 Not enough Thermal Pads - EVGA, probably.

[@CaveyMoth]

My EVGA GPU doesn't even have a backplate. Maybe that's why it's nice and cool. ^^

[@CheapBastard1988]

At least they learned from their mistake and fixed the cards affected.

[@chrisnightingale6917]

XFX: Designs cooler with side exiting fins XFX: Covers side exiting fins with plastic shrouds GPU: Runs hot XFX: *surprised Pikachu face*

[@fie1329]

Best coment down here!

[@IRefuseToUseThisStupidFeature]

Why not dip the whole thing in chocolate? Customers will like that! ...

[@foxboi6309]

GN ended up burning XFX more than their heatsinks could take.

[@suryanshpatel604]

dayum

[@Atreea]

and this comment burned their cooling design department rofl

[@exitioregem8466]

I smell melted copper

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

If only they used a better cooler

[@Carlton_Banks]

Improving the THICC: 1- Grab it 2- Remove the THICCness. 3- ??? 4- Profit

[@Atreea]

soo... its a STICC ?

[@thelegendaryklobb2879]

Yup, this thicc card greatly benefits from a good balanced diet. Now we need to get her into the gym (improving the contact plate?)

[@enfantdecoq]

unfortunately step 4 is unattainable, as price is based on meme-value.

[@CaveyMoth]

I just want a graphics card that is PCB and heatsink. No flashy adornments. Call it "Pure Cooling."

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I would buy the card only to remove the backplate and replace it with a nice 30mm high, finned cooler for extra thiccness. Add some extra back fans for good measure.

[@cronoevo]

You guys are amazing, most reviewers would just say "it's garbage" and bin it. However, you lot prototype fixes for a giant company that should have realized their shortcomings in the design phase. This is why your reviews are the best, it's why you guys are so highly regarded, and it's why I'll always trust your well worded\comprehensive testing. Bravo, keep up the great work. Fu@k the haters.

[@GamersNexus]

Thanks for the kind words! We're actually doing even more on this card, but it won't be ready for a few weeks!

[@NinjaWeazel]

@@GamersNexus custom watercooled version when

[@reapov2665]

😂😂😂

[@M_Northstar]

@@GamersNexus Ooh, ooh. Copper plate version. Let Linus mill it for you, he's got that fancy new workshop.

[@blindtruth4614]

Seeing how sloppy XFX were here not only means I will not buy this card (not like I would buy a RX 5700XT anyway) but means I will not even concider XFX cards at all when it comes to my next purchase.

[@TheRealPunisher]

Xfx picked a fight with the wrong guy lol

[@Scyler1641]

"Your 40 dba normalised test is biased" GN: takes 20 seconds to give concise, straightforward counterarguments and welcomes further debate wihtout even flinching Other techtubers: 20 minute response video of "Is OuR TeStInG BiAsEd zZoMg"

[@thereisnospace]

well thats an easy 10-20 minutes video to make without having to think about it that hard.

[@soupwizard]

Would like to see a video with more in-depth info on Shenzhen labor shortages and how that is affecting design. Edit: Maybe generalize that into the difference between designing for manual assembly to partially manual to fully robotic assembly. Just how much robotics are used to create the motherboards, CPUs, GPUs, power supplies, etc that we buy?

[@mitchell3876]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ-kd4eDlrhoiJI He did do a factory tour showing how much of making a motherboard is automated now

[@johnuferbach9166]

i'd guess cpu production is fully automated on motherboards the placing of a few throughole components is done manually the rest idk often the testing / feeding the testing machines is done manually

[@rodturner6759]

This is on the engineers, you fucktard.

[@mycelia_ow]

@@rodturner6759 not just the engineers. Everyone involved with XFX is a knob.

[@TillOverHill]

All of this on a card that comes with a warranty void sticker over a screw. Laughable.

[@devilmikey00]

Which is illegal in the states at least. Your warranty isn't void if the sticker is broken.

[@rogehmarbi]

@@devilmikey00 is that true though? (Asking because I have a Lenovo laptop with a sticker on it, I'd like to upgrade to an SSD but that thing's on the way...)

[@12pandemon]

@@rogehmarbi It is true. 100%.

[@mycelia_ow]

@@12pandemon can't they refuse RMA then though? I know it is illegal for them to do this, but most people aren't going to have the funds or time to battle a manufacturer in court should it get that far. The USA gov needs to enforce these polices more

[@slick2000tiscali]

"this Mcdonalds plastic", lol

[@Celician83]

Honestly dont know what happen to XFX, they USED to be the card to get, at least back in the GTX 200 series. They kinda went downhill since

[@slipknotboy555]

It really seems to just be this generation of cards. Their R9 300 series and Polaris stuff, for example, are fine

[@frickzjee]

@@slipknotboy555 i currently have XFX RX580, i mean its a fine card, but a little too loud when gaming and at 75-76 C its not the coolest

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Guess their place got taken by PowerColor. They used to be the cheaper alternative for ATi/AMD, but with their RedDevil cards they pretty much work at the top.

[@pavelkryl457]

@@slipknotboy555 Their polaris stuff really was not fine, I own an RX 480 from xfx and when I took the backplate off and applied a new thermal paste I dropped temps by around 8°C. And don´t even get me started on their fans.

[@timothygibney159]

@@HappyBeezerStudios yeah xfx was the top brand and powrcolor may blow at any time but was cheaper. My have times changed. Gigabyte on the Intel said was crap while Asus was God. Now the other way around

[@_Agosto_]

"Moving on less plastic" Steve Thunberg

[@nutterztube]

How dare you?

[@dchilo]

XFX: **exists** Gamers Nexus with three videos: *I'm about to end this company's whole career.*

[@MarcABrown-tt1fp]

Overused comment.

[@constantine4357]

GN: THICC is too hot _GN proceed to reduce the thiccness_ XFX: I see you're not a man of culture, thicc things are meant to be hot...

[@SketchbookGuitar]

I fixed my xfx thicc temp problem by buying red devil instead. So far it works

[@hannes2311]

Ill do the Same😂

[@jefflukey123]

downvoted to keep the upvotes at 69. sorry

[@Boorock70]

XFX should thank GN for describing in detail how to do it ! - Pathetic design, no real engineering padded with cosmetic shit for marketing. Good job XFX. Pitty, they were the legend on RX 480/580 and radeon series before... Gr8 work GN, you guys ROCK !

[@brazilpaes]

I'm using right now a XFX RX 480 GTR, with 580 bios, still cool, still rock, but after that they suck a lot.

[@xyela]

love that wang wang box haha

[@Phynellius]

I appreciate the level of detail that you have gone into in regards to this card, it's hard to say you're dragging them for no reason when you present such well written commentary about the state of this product

[@RJN9008]

Please review the thicc 3, I have seen videos from others stating that they fixed most of the issues with this product, but I would like to see your input.

[@Ghost3dOne]

XFX either built this card in too short of a timeframe, resulting in a crap design or didnt test the designs they had at all. I'd wager its a mix of both.

[@CaveyMoth]

"Hey, people like bigger graphics cards these days. Let's throw useless plastic all around it and make it huge! Who cares if it harms thermal results."

[@OnboardG1]

Sadly common in engineering companies where management push back on engineering estimates and set unrealistic deadlines.

[@thehumangerm]

@@CaveyMoth The extra plastic would be fine if the fans and fin stack accounted better for it. If we made products made purely on performance everyone would be using a test bench and we would have much better fan solutions.

[@NekoJanz]

alternate video title: Jesus forgives hot thicc boi's sins

[@DawidDoesTechStuff]

It's pretty weird seeing a Gamer's Nexus video with only 972 views on it. It's like seeing pictures of your parents as kids.

[@ericsalidbar1693]

Yeah that's cause you were here after only exactly 10 so minutes had passed since it was uploaded....

[@DawidDoesTechStuff]

@@ericsalidbar1693 Thanks for clearing that up. :)

[@ericsalidbar1693]

@@DawidDoesTechStuff no problem bud I thought it was strange it only had 3k views and looked back after the upload time so I definitely understand brotha. Hope you're have a good night.

[@sersoft_corp]

I am not surprised by these results. I once reduced temps by 6C by removing a piece of plastic off an R9 290 from XFX and 15C+ off VRM temps by literally flipping the thermal pad upside down.

[@Atreea]

GN should team up with lots of companies just to make a better product i want a "Tech Jesus" edition gpu if it exist lol

[@albe23]

They would have a tough time looking impartial if they made or had part in products that compete against other products they review.

[@tanmaypanadi1414]

GN GPU back plate for Steve approved gpus every year at every price point

[@sjake333]

*XFX on the floor* "Stop! He's already dead!"

[@Apothecarii]

Bought a 5700 XT Devil instead of the XFX because of these videos. Thank you GN!

[@Feesh116]

Gamers Nexus: FIX THIS AND WE'LL SHUT UP. CoolerMaster: Cool, got it. XFX: we've been attacked, just buy it for yourself and see.

[@React2Quick]

Also XFX: This is not the first time GN has come after us

[@turkepic3637]

9:00 Did he just say "Mc Donald's Plastic"?

[@RapttorX]

i guess you missed the original review

[@mrtschulias5250]

I just modded my XFX 5700 XT THICC II: All plastic parts removed except the part holding the fans. Backplate removed. Memory plate (stainless steel) removed. Memory temperature is worse now: 97°C junction (max) & 104°C memory (max) @ Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Before: 97°C junction (max) & 92°C memory (max). I did not alter the fan speed. Using the latest bios available from the XFX website. Edit: I misunderstood and thought they'd removed the memory plate too. I readded the memory plate and added paste on the contact points of the plate and the cooler. In contrary to Gamers Nexus I did not remove the thermal pads between the memory plate and the cooler. Memory temps are improved a lot now - still 92°C max but the average temp is lower. Thank you Gamer Nexus :)

[@MrLaserpowered]

XFX updated the heatsink and bios soon after your review. Can you review this card again and measure the differences?

[@pankothompson5903]

If it isnt a blower design why even have a shroud just use casefans with 4 pin connectors, brutalist design.

[@suprecam9880]

I love the nonchalant nature of Gamers Nexus' humor. It's just right.. Keep being awesome! Love your videos.

[@drackar]

So what i'm reading is, if you find one of these on a steep discount somewhere, you can drastically improve the performance with a screwdriver and a tube of thermal paste and a recycling bin.

[@JuanMendez335]

I'm gonna do it...I got Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut paste

[@HellenicBM]

Me sees the title : "Ooohboy here we go"

[@lordsqueak]

One argument For testing noise normalized is that it will be equal to real world conditions. If someone thinks the card is too damn noisy, they might reduce the fan speeds, and if they aren't bothered by noise, they might increase fan speeds to improve the thermals. This is the simplest way for a user to tweak their cards, and probably the first thing they will try, unless they go directly into overclocking, etc. All in all, this is a highly relevant test.

[@damysticalone87]

I'm not a pro pc builder, techniquer, IT-Specialist or whatever, but I don't like the messup of thermal pastes, that's why I would go this: first a thin thermal pad, then on that a thin copper and then on the copper again a thin thermal pad, to avoid scratches by the copper. Just my thoughts about thermal paste. I just like noiceless passive cooling (material+heatspreader and ofc airbreath).

[@BAdventures]

Good investigation and report. Ironically I saw a stripped down version advertised in Australia. The HIS Radeon RX 5700 XT IceQ X2 graphics card for review. PCB designed by Pine Group, XFX parent company.

[@nobody1194]

Companies should pay Gamers Nexus for fixing their product really. I bought the H500 Mesh from CM and I know now I'm loving the case because the folks at GN helped it to where it is today. Otherwise I'd be staring at an acrylic front window blocking the 2x200mm fans...

[@omegaelixir]

Steve's hair is THICC

[@Alchemist37]

and looking very conditioned :)

[@RNG-999]

@@Alchemist37 I feel like his hair is the opposite of conditioned, fam.

[@Plus_Escapee]

Big Manufacturers; We don't want to pay workers too much. Also Big Manufacturers; Why won't anyone work for us??

[@ilovelamplongtime]

I’m curious if you feel that they redeemed themselves at all with the THICC III? Seeing good reviews.

[@ararefiction]

I love mine, although doing an Undervolt keeps it cool in ANY game so far. its OC'd alot outta the box/default runs anything 1080 or 1440p and the coolest looking one

[@HELLienadO]

I believe that plastic layer on the backplate doesn't allow a good heat transfer from the thermalpads, I removed it on mine, a pain in the ass to remove the glue residue, so I only cleaned where there was going to be contact. I also thought that the plastic shroud was trapping heat, this video proved it.

[@d3115uxor]

you would think when buying a card with the meme name THICC, it should in fact be large, but the caviot starts when the "thicc" cooler doesn't cool!

[@mjc0961]

13:43 - That company was quite likely not NVIDIA, at least if the teardowns of the RTX series are anything to go by.

[@nutterztube]

Steve, please review Zotac graphics cards, too.

[@n0vac09]

Knaughty F Zotac 1060 gang checking in

[@larrisAWSOME]

Thanks for never following up on any of xfx's attempts on fixing issues with their card and instead sucking off msi for their minor improvements. Good job guys.

[@GovG33k]

@arrisAWSOME Let's see your updated video

[@S3lvah]

So I got this card when it came out because (maybe thanks to scathing reviews?) it was a lot cheaper than all other AiB 5700s. I was waiting for XFX to send me the THICC III copper memory plate for most of this time, but they ghosted on all non-XT owners because of COVID. Today, I finally got over that disappointment and opened the card to remove the McD plastic & backplate, repaste and tighten properly. I also adjusted a thermal pad on the memory plate that was even worse positioned than the one in this vid; it only made contact with 1 of the 4 cooling pipes (???). After testing before & after with Superposition and 5 min Furmark, the GPU temp went down 20 °C, hotspot by 10-15 °C and memory by 10 °C. These are rough values, as there were some small differences in fan speed & starting temp. Absolutely ridiculous improvements for what barely qualifies as "modding." Highly, highly recommended.

[@LuisAFigueroa]

XFX should have stick with their GTR type of cards. My RX580 GTR works very well and never goes over 65 under heavy loads.

[@BRUXXUS]

While it wouldn't really be reversible, I would be interested in loading that steel memory plate with some bits of solder and brazing it to the heat pipes and cold plate. Could probably be done fairly easily with a heat gun and some strips of regular solder. The steel shouldn't sink so much heat to make it impossible. 🤔

[@Zarcondeegrissom]

better done before filling and closing up the pipes (like they do when making coolers). there are plenty of examples around of what happens when you try to 'reflow' a GPU after the heat pipes or vapor chamber was filled and sealed up (people stuffing cards into the oven without removing the cooler first). Insta expand-a-plate, and broken card, lol. FYI, PC heat pipes are often designed to operate up to, "up to" 125c, the temp needed to melt solder is closer to over 450c, that's a tad beyond 125c, lol.

[@BRUXXUS]

@@Zarcondeegrissom Ohhhyeahh.... heat pipes sealed with water vapor + heating to solder melt temps = BOOM! Yeah... that's probably not a smart idea now that you mention it. 🤣

[@patrickdergroenr1247]

I ordered a 5700xt Thicc 2 yesterday. I heard they fixed actually every problem with the card and drivers are top now too. I got it for 369€ including shipping.

[@patrickdergroenr1247]

2 Months later and i wanted to give a headsup. The Thicc 2 Ultra was actual trash, dont buy it. The contact to the coldplate still sucks balls. Refunded the first one and the second one also had the same problem. Refunded the second one too and got me a Nitro+. I undervolted it to 1.1v and 2100mhz real boost.

[@Heldermaior]

And this is why GN is the best youtube tech channel. They not only find the problems, they fix them. You guys hiring?

[@panzerschreckpete]

This sort of content is why I'm more than happy to grab merch as often as I can afford it, regardless of shipping. Love your work to educate and provide solutions for the community.

[@CREWSZx]

Btw xfx listened and you should applaud them! Just got the new dd ultra it’s all metal and cooling is great! I call for a retest!

[@The2808erik]

I want the performance oriented and clean look of xfx's Radeon 200 series cards back.

[@t3servo545]

Have you tested the THICC III ultra from Best Buy? It seems that everyone loves it.

[@ghostgameing4622]

This Thing looks Really good. I like it. i had some old XFX hd 6850 in crossfire . reason i got them was the Double Lifetime Warranty !!!

[@thorrollosson]

The note you had on the reduction in workers available in Shenzen is fascinating. I recently was in the market for a 2080ti, and as an owner of the Gigabyte Aorus 1080ti (not the Xtreme, just the 11G), being overall very happy with it, I first looked at the direct 2080ti SKU that was available. The price was pretty awful to begin with, but aside from that, the entire design was a very clear step down from the preceding Aorus model. The heatsink design, backplate, and shroud were all much lower tier. From the extremely robust 1080ti design, the 2080ti Aorus looks about like the more mid-range 1070/1080 AIB variants in overall cooling design. PCB wise it still seems like a fairly premium product, but everything outward from there was a decliine. Ended up going with Zotac this time around, as the performance vs $ was better with what I had to choose from.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

When do manufacturers learn, that a bit piece of metal, also called backplate, does a great job at dissipating heat from connected chips. Like, using a metal backplate and putting thermal pads between it and the RAM chips on the backside of the card.

[@chincemagnet]

STAINLESS STEEL memory plate?!! Who is the idiot who thought that would be acceptable?

[@lethalron11]

are you guys planning on doing a review on the 5700xt thicc 3?

[@Timer5Tim]

I would say that XFX did take this feedback to heart. The 6900XT 319 Merc was considered one of the best cards of it's generation for it's air cooling all while looking a lot like the Thicc.

[@justinlynn]

Protip: make sure marketing does not dictate system thermal design.

[@strohhuttv8848]

I had a XFX RX 580 8GB it was a nightmare. I can tell by my own experiences don't buy XFX. I bought Aorus RTX 2060 SUPER and I'm more than happy!

[@coreylee8823]

I bought an XFX RX 590 Fatboy,, had to return it to Amazon. After two minutes of gaming my whole system would crash. I adjusted the fan curve to have the fans run at 100% always, couldn't even have a conversation around my PC with it like that, and it still crashed!! The coil whine was so bad too, and my PC sounded like a 18 wheelers engine when it was cooling down. Anyways I wanted a red system but after I got my refund I went and bought a 2060 Super, felt a bit sketch about AMD GPUs, still some issues but I think I have them all fixed now, driver related. I was going to get a 5700 but in Canada the aftermarket cards still aren't available last time I checked, happy with my 2060 regardless. Point is blows my mind how they sold that shit to me when it wouldn't function at all, and I was worried I was melting my motherboard lol

[@xxgg]

I love these types of follow up videos. I recently upgraded from GTX 970 to Asus TUF Gaming RX 5700 XT and coil whine is so much more annoying. Not specifically the Radeon cards but could you either talk or make video about coil whines in general? Why?How? Can it be fixed by manufacturers? etc... Thanks, cheers!

[@doublebuddy7569]

Gamer Nexus: new video reviewing xfx thicc rx 5700 xt Xfx: Aww shit here we go again

[@ToastyHeresStreamArchive]

So, if I'm comparing the charts and doing the math right, repasting, with no plate and no plastic actually puts this right beside the Gigabyte, Sapphire Pulse, and Sapphire Nitro @220w for GPU junction thermals?

[@darkhunterkiller4602]

Steve, because of you and your team modifying and improving the design of the Coolermaster case to mesh, and Coolermaster's implementation response, I bought that case. I am proof that consumers watch and listen to your criticisms of these kinds of products. XFX you could stand to pay attention to the staff at Gamers Nexus, instead of giving flippant comments towards a community that cares and wants to see you improve. Kudos to you and your team Steve!

[@RNG-999]

Just make a good product and then GN won't "come at you" for making a shitty product, XFX.

[@user-lp7qo9cl8w]

I love how honest you guys are.

[@silenthero2795]

Why does my line of sight gravitate to that pink box?

[@TheNiteNinja19]

the XFX 290x Double dissipation edition had the same black with chrome accents and that beautiful look. And that cooler was double slot and was able to tame the Hawaii core underneath way more efficiently. They did it then, there's no excuse they couldn't do it now.

[@SerpentXTech]

I should be releasing my vid on Modifications made to Asrock Challenger RX 5700 to improve thermals, prob this weekend. A huge improvement for me, as I run Memory intensive applications and dropped from 104c to 92c.

[@1soupasaurus]

"It's still better than an air gap, probably." Lmao, this made me laugh harder than it should have.

[@DKTAz00]

So if they just did the extra step of stamping the backplate over the memory, to bring it closer, you could get away with normal sized heatpads :D

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Is the backplate even metal? It looks so shiny, could be plastic. But yeah some downstamping and fins (to keep it as thicc) would make for some awesome visuals.

[@JoshuaCBrown]

@@HappyBeezerStudios I thought I heard the backplate make a metallic ding sound when he removed it in the teardown video, but I might be misremembering.

[@ericdeltoro8484]

Wouldn't making the top part of the plastic covering vented with some slats also improve temps by giving heat and air a way out? Obviously, not having the plastic there to begin with would be best but if they wanted to keep the plastic there for looks, making it vented might still yield an improvement to thermals.

[@lobotekuani]

Will you do a review and teardown of the MSI Mech versions of the RX 5700 series?

[@lobotekuani]

Or maybe the Gaming X?

[@Pick_Lock]

I've owned one XFX before, never again.

[@user-du9zf3jj1z]

4:47 techjesus about to lay the smackdown on some fools.

[@MrFenri]

The reviews for this on NewEgg seem fake as hell.

[@phil9256]

I love this card and am enjoying it daily. This card takes on every single game I thrown at it with not a single issue. I am extremely happy with my purchase. I come to these videos to try and understand what the hell they are talking about. I don't really understand half of what he is saying but I know one thing and its that my thicc is exceeding my expectations so I guess its irrelevant to watch someone bashing it.

[@k.bobcat7567]

@@evalangley3985 weird because my thicc ii reaches high 80s on certain games even with fan curves adjusted and i even tried undervolting. i think i just got a crappy card cause it reached high temps even though it was brand new.

[@CommandLineVulpine]

One last suggestion that can't be understated. Maybe pay the workers more, that would shore up manpower issues.

[@noxious89123]

Then they'd have to charge more for their already high-priced card.

[@iankemp2627]

Hey Steve, XFX supposedly fixed the THICC II cooler (ref www.techpowerup.com/260696/xfx-revises-rx-5700-xt-thicc-ii-cooler-offers-replacements-to-current-owners), IMO it would be useful for you to do a follow-up review of that new design to see if they ACTUALLY fixed it.

[@hjackson.92]

I'm surprised at the fact that it's difficult to find people to put together these GPUs in Shenzhen. Kind of ironic. Perhaps people in the U.S. could help out, maybe have new factories here set up so that these cards can be put together the right way.

[@e3446]

When it comes to mounting pressure, they could use a torque screwdriver and the pressure would at least be equal across all cards.

[@mattyfreshgaming6220]

GN is way more thorough than they need to be.....and for that, I thoroughly enjoy your reviews and mods!

[@arvinsim]

Damn, that's some multiple video smackdown on the Thicc right there. No reason to grab one anymore.

[@peterjansen4826]

I speculated already that air would get trapped under that plastic, plastic doesn't have a lot of holes for air to pass through. Next time XFX should put functionality first and only within those constraints work on the looks, or not at all.

[@Albert24346]

I couldn't care less about this card, but this is incredibly interesting.

[@Vrrona]

Id love to see 5700 XT Gaming X reviewed by Gamer Nexus, the only channel that I really trust

[@richdixon]

Why would they use a presumably more expensive and less conductive stainless steel plate instead of an aluminum plate on the memory?

[@jonnybravo420]

Hi,. I love your content! Was wondering if you plan to do any video on the newer improved Thicc III card? I value your opinion and would love to hear what you have to say about it!

[@DeViLzzz2006]

They did a video about the THICC III Ultra where finally XFX got it right but have searched and no video on the THICC III. As for others doing reviews of it I wanted to hear it from these guys before I would spend money on the XFX THICC III even if it is at a good price now.

[@sadlerbw9]

Hey GN! Next time the product release cycle hits a lul, please consider doing a more in-depth look at GPU backplates in general. My gut feeling is that they really don't increase surface area compared to leaving the back of the card bare, so it seems likely that they could hurt as often as they help, and if they do help it is marginal. However, I'd like to see some actual data before drawing a conclusion. Thanks.

[@babakzekibi315]

I bought a 5700xt nitro+ after watching all of your related videos , happy with the result

[@Albert24346]

Man I bought the THICC III on Black Friday, it was cheap, 390€, it actually has copper plate for the memory instead of steel, and three fans, and I thought I'd be better, but thermals are still pretty bad and now I don't know if I should return it or just remove the useless plastic. I mean, temps decreased A LOT with this solution, so much that it could actually be a great card, if I get those results (-6º Memory, -13º GPU edge and -7º VRM Mos). I don't know what to do.

[@Albert24346]

I decided to return it. Even thought it looks like they improved the memory plate, now copper, that part actually got the worst results. 92ºC after just 10 minutes of gameplay! With fans turning at 60% speed, 2047 RPM! GPU Edge was ok 73º, VRMOS meh 82º, hottest point 94º. How's that possible? 92º and 94º with 3 fans at 2000 RPM? Apart from the plastic probably making the air run in circles inside the card, a faulty mount I guess. But the most frustrating of all was not being able to set up manual fan speed in Afterburner, because it produced flickering. This card doesn't want to allow you to change the fan curve. Now I understand Steve's frustration even more than before, and I think that's XFX's fault.

[@patrickdergroenr1247]

@@Albert24346 I ordered a 5700xt Thicc 2 yesterday. I heard they fixed actually every problem with the card and drivers are top now too. I got it for 369€ including shipping.

[@ZeroSpawn]

McDonald's Plastic! BURN!!!! Well done in doing their R&D for XFX~

[@somebrains5431]

They should sell the bare pcb for aio or open loop cooling and call it a day. It could be like the 1080ti armor, where a PSA calls the cooler garbage but a pcb analysis deems the gpu worth it for those willing to put more work into it.