Hey everyone! I am reaching out because I have been having some worrying issues with my RTX 3090 lately. I mostly use it for 4K gaming and some heavy video editing, but the memory junction temperatures have been creeping up to 104C or even 106C under load. From what I have read online, that is getting dangerously close to the thermal throttling limit, and I am really worried about the longevity of the card.

I decided to take the cooler off just to inspect things, and honestly, the stock thermal pads look pretty bad. They are all oily and seem to be leaking some kind of silicone residue onto the PCB. I think it is definitely time for an upgrade, but the market is honestly a bit overwhelming with all the different brands and conductivity ratings out there.

I have been looking at a few different options, but I am not sure which one actually performs best in real-world scenarios rather than just what it says on the box. Here are the things I am currently considering:

• Gelid Solutions GP-Ultimate (I heard these are squishy and easy to fit)
• Thermalright Extreme Odyssey II (people say these have great thermal conductivity)
• Fujipoly Sarcon (I know these are expensive, but are they worth the premium?)

One of my biggest concerns is the hardness of the pads. I have heard that if you get pads that are too stiff, the GPU core will not make proper contact with the heatsink, which could actually make my core temperatures worse while trying to fix the memory. I am also struggling to figure out if I should stick to the standard 12.8 W/mK ratings or if I should aim for something even higher if it exists.

Does anyone here have experience with re-padding a high-end card like this? I really want to get those VRAM temps down into the 80s or low 90s if possible. Which specific brand and model of thermal pads would you recommend for the absolute best cooling performance?