F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Damaged GPU due to water exposure

Damaged GPU due to water exposure

Damaged GPU due to water exposure

K
ketman34
Posting Freak
834
07-14-2020, 11:59 PM
#1
Your 3070 experienced water damage from a basement leak. The PCB appears undamaged, but calcium buildup on the heatsink fins makes cleaning difficult. It's unclear if the GPU is safe to use or if performance will drop noticeably.
K
ketman34
07-14-2020, 11:59 PM #1

Your 3070 experienced water damage from a basement leak. The PCB appears undamaged, but calcium buildup on the heatsink fins makes cleaning difficult. It's unclear if the GPU is safe to use or if performance will drop noticeably.

9
905xA
Senior Member
667
07-15-2020, 01:36 AM
#2
The best method would have been to rinse in clear water before the card had time to dry up. But it's too late for that. The problem with calcium and other deposits is that they can be conductive. So, as soon as you plug the card and power up the computer, the card can experience a short circuit and die a horrible death. What to do now ? You can try removing the calcium build up as much as you can with a dry toothbrush. It won't be a perfect job, but it's still better than nothing (and easy to do). If you have access to an ultrasonic bath, you can disassemble the cooler and fans and dip the pcb into the bath to clean up all residues. You should also redo thermal paste and thermal pads while reassembling. And if you think the card is not worth the trouble, you can simply try powering it up. There is a chance it will work flawlessly, and a chance it will die. I rarely seen a card partly working, partly dying. Hope that helps
9
905xA
07-15-2020, 01:36 AM #2

The best method would have been to rinse in clear water before the card had time to dry up. But it's too late for that. The problem with calcium and other deposits is that they can be conductive. So, as soon as you plug the card and power up the computer, the card can experience a short circuit and die a horrible death. What to do now ? You can try removing the calcium build up as much as you can with a dry toothbrush. It won't be a perfect job, but it's still better than nothing (and easy to do). If you have access to an ultrasonic bath, you can disassemble the cooler and fans and dip the pcb into the bath to clean up all residues. You should also redo thermal paste and thermal pads while reassembling. And if you think the card is not worth the trouble, you can simply try powering it up. There is a chance it will work flawlessly, and a chance it will die. I rarely seen a card partly working, partly dying. Hope that helps

K
keonmin0329
Junior Member
20
07-17-2020, 06:27 PM
#3
The calcium isn’t causing any problems; just take it apart to ensure the PCB and parts are free of debris, or wipe them down with alcohol and a gentle brush—avoid anything rough.
K
keonmin0329
07-17-2020, 06:27 PM #3

The calcium isn’t causing any problems; just take it apart to ensure the PCB and parts are free of debris, or wipe them down with alcohol and a gentle brush—avoid anything rough.

G
GotEide
Member
202
07-18-2020, 03:10 AM
#4
Thanks in advance! I understand you're using a compact ultrasonic bath and wondering how to handle it piece by piece.
G
GotEide
07-18-2020, 03:10 AM #4

Thanks in advance! I understand you're using a compact ultrasonic bath and wondering how to handle it piece by piece.