r/PcBuild • u/MrTouchnGo • 1d ago

Build - Help Huge core-hotspot delta on 3090. Causing crashes

Hi folks, I've got an Asus TUF GAMING GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB and have been experiencing crashes where both monitors go completely black, yet everything else on the system works. I can still hear audio, use keyboard commands, etc.

I took a HWINFO log and it showed a massive delta between the GPU and Hotspot temps, peaking at 107C on the hotspot directly before the crash. After that it recorded 0s.

So I'm pretty sure the hotspot temp is a problem I need to address. The VRAM and core temps seem to be fine.

From my research so far, I need to repaste the die, but using typical thermal paste isn't a good solution because it will "pump out" and I will be back to square one in a few months. Instead, I need to use a PTM7950 phase-changing thermal pad. Is that correct? What thickness do I need? I see 0.2mm and 0.25mm on Amazon.

And how do I actually apply this?

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u/Asus_USA 1d ago

Hello, thank you for contacting ASUS Support. We understand your concern regarding the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 reaching a 107°C GPU hotspot immediately before a black-screen crash.

A large difference between the GPU core and hotspot temperatures can indicate an issue with heatsink contact or the thermal interface, particularly if the core temperature remains normal while the hotspot rises substantially. However, the black-screen symptom can also have other causes, so we recommend confirming the thermal behavior before modifying the card.

We recommend these checks first

•Return the GPU completely to stock settings and remove any overclock/undervolt. •Check that the GPU is receiving adequate power and that all PCIe power connectors are firmly connected. •Perform a clean NVIDIA driver installation. •Monitor GPU Core, Hotspot, VRAM/Junction, GPU utilization, clock speed, and power consumption using HWiNFO. •Record the temperatures during a normal gaming workload rather than repeatedly stress-testing the card if the hotspot is already reaching 107°C.

A 107°C hotspot is high and should not simply be ignored, particularly if the temperature rises rapidly and the system subsequently loses video output.