RTX 3090 experience turned into a nightmare.
RTX 3090 experience turned into a nightmare.
Hi guys ok I have an RTX 3090 zotac trinity oc. Worked fine on stock cooler for weeks, so decided to finish my build by waterblocking the card to complete my loop. Followed the install instructions to the letter and went to power on bit got nothing. I took the card out and reinstalled the original coolers after cleaning it up and got power and an output. So I tried the block again and it worked got great temps while testing it downstairs where I was building it, but when I moved the pc upstairs and powered it on, I got a spark from the card and the faint smell of burning. Any ideas what could be the problem and is my card now bricked?
It seems your setup might not match the intended card for this model. You could have received a mismatched waterblock or something went wrong with the card after initial use. These cards usually have very specific restrictions for each variation, especially if they aren’t reference versions. If you obtained the card secondhand, coverage isn’t guaranteed. Make sure it’s reassembled properly and contact a reputable repair service via YouTube if needed.
It might be damaged, but luck could help you just a tiny bit. I’m not sure where you are, but in Asia there are many small shops with engineers who can check parts and fix them at reasonable prices. In the USA, I just wish you could find someone ready to look into it for you—repair costs are usually too high, so getting a new card with full warranty is better. If you notice any burn marks, try taking a close photo and checking online to identify the part. If you’re comfortable with soldering, you could try replacing it yourself.
I'm very sorry, that is the clearest sign you could have as to it having died one way or another and is out of your hands. You can try to read the warranty conditions and see if your local Zotac warranty accepts such issue, and I know it's hard to hear, they probably wont. I'm very sorry, I know it must feel terrible. Regarless, just send it back to them anyway and see what happens, nothing else to be done.
They will completely decline anything related to second-hand items, they don’t even provide shipping options. This is the reality of the Zotac Warranty experience I’ve encountered. Unless you purchase directly from them—or have a connection in the chain—it’s unlikely to work.
You can usually bring the original receipt to the shop, and they will handle it for you. That’s why we always request the original invoice when purchasing second-hand items. I’m not sure how it’s done in other places.
I took apart the water block and thoroughly cleaned the card using 90% ethanol. Then I used a heat gun to dry out any remaining moisture. After that, I installed fresh thermal pads and the MX5 thermal paste, reassembling the original block. I waited for a successful start-up on my PC and began running tests, watching closely for sparks or smoke. It seems water might have entered the connector, possibly burning away on the board; I’m planning to dispose of it. Between fan noise and a dead GPU, I’m leaning toward the fan noise. I’ll keep you posted on the results.
Completed a 3Dmarks time stress test with 20 loops and ran the card without issues. The peak temperature reached was 82°C, which is within normal operating limits. Played a few games today to check performance and everything seems fine. I’m guessing it was water, though I can’t confirm for sure—it wasn’t confirmed either. I didn’t see any signs pointing to water being the issue, but some blocks can cause shorts too, so I’m not entirely sure.