It's a small component inside the GPU fin designed to help with heat dissipation.
It's a small component inside the GPU fin designed to help with heat dissipation.
If you follow the RMA procedure, it might just be dust from your surroundings. Depending on PowerColor warranty support, you could be billed for shipping to retrieve your card. This can end up costing a significant amount of money. I reside in central Florida where humidity remains around 60% and often exceeds 90%. I keep my windows open at night only a few inches away from the intake fans. Over the past 25 years, I haven’t experienced any metal or corrosion from environmental air humidity.
Thank you for the update. I examined the GPU cooler and noticed the image at the provided link.
It seems like dust is the main concern here. Ordering a replacement would probably not work. Warranties usually don’t cover dust or corrosion. The exception might be if all the GPUs in a batch developed corrosion from a shared component problem, but we’d likely hear more about that if it were the case.
I've found success with a tiny brass brush for clearing off surface rust. Its gentle texture won't harm anything, but it needs careful handling. **I recommend using it from within the case and keeping it spotless to avoid any loose bristles touching sensitive areas.**