The Weight of Greatness: Impressive Weight of GeForce RTX Series Graphics Cards Causes Cracks in the PCB

The master of 3D worlds, complex calculations and realistic graphics - the video card often suffers from its impressive weight and complexity of design. The recent incident with Gigabyte's GeForce RTX 30 and RTX 40 series graphics cards touched the heart of the device - the printed circuit board (PCB). The cracks that occur on these expensive and high quality devices have been revealed thanks to vlogger and repair technician Louis Rossman.

Rossman has reported numerous cases where PCB cracks have compromised the functionality of a video card, interrupting critical signals and leaving some components without power. Interestingly, such damage occurred both in pre-assembled systems and during independent operation of the cards. However, what caused a big public outcry was Gigabyte's refusal to service these cards, citing PCB damage.

After weighing the facts and circumstances, Rossman suggested that the increase in weight of modern video cards, especially in the last two generations of Nvidia GeForce, could be the cause of cracks. For example, the GeForce RTX 4090 , which is most often three-slot, can expand to an incredible 4.5 slots in some custom versions.

However, despite the complexity of the situation, damaged graphics cards can be repaired by professionals with the right skills and tools. But keep in mind that success is not guaranteed, and the copper traces may have to be redone from scratch, because they are likely to cause cracks on overloaded graphics cards.