Overview

• Igor's Lab has identified severe thermal hotspots in the power delivery areas of all Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs, with temperatures reaching up to 107.3°C under heavy use.
• The hotspots stem from compact PCB layouts that cluster power delivery components, creating high thermal density and accelerating wear on the cards.
• Testing shows that sustained hotspot temperatures above 80°C could lead to electromigration and aging effects, potentially shortening GPU lifespan to a few years.
• Nvidia's Thermal Design Guide is criticized for relying on idealized lab conditions, failing to account for real-world scenarios like poor ventilation and high humidity.
• Despite the findings, Nvidia has not issued a response or announced design changes, and partners continue to self-certify under limited Green Light program checks.