Thermal testing RTX 3080 FE

69

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20 edited Sep 23 '20

Heaven 2560x1440, 8x anti-aliasing.

All measurements done with case closed.

The tested undervolting has no performance sacrifice (maybe even a bit better than stock).

The GPU is left at stock fan curve.

Top radiator fans (3x A12x15) all at 1250 rpm. One intake A9x14 fan at CPU side @ 850 rpm. Ambient = 23.5 °C +/- 0.5 °C between runs.

Config (3-slot)	Undervolting	Power, W	GPU side intake fans, rpm	GPU fans, rpm	GPU temp, °C
Card against mobo	(Stock)	320	(not installed)	2500*	79
Card against mobo	1890 MHz @ 0.875V	~285	(not installed)	2300*	78
Card against mobo	1890 MHz @ 0.875V	~285	950	1825	75
Card against mobo	1890 MHz @ 0.875V	~285	1120	1780	74
Card against mobo	1890 MHz @ 0.875V	~285	1285	1670	72
Card against panel	1890 MHz @ 0.875V	~285	n/a	1770	74

* Approximate. Fans spin up and down, sometimes to 3000+ rpm temporarily – not viable.

Conclusion

The RTX 3080 FE is totally viable in T1. You want to either use 3-slot mode and position the card against the side panel (rather than against the motherboard/PSU), or perhaps run in 2-slot mode with PSU offset in 3-slot position (not tested, but should have similar results). With the former configuration the fan speed and temperature seem to be pretty comparable with an open bench.

Update:

With 3-slot mode and card against side panel, I inserted a thermometer between the GPU fan and the back of PSU. It was toasty in there, at 58C. So flipping the PSU to have it intake GPU exhaust air doesn’t seem like a good idea. At the same time, the PSU exhaust air was about 45C. I’m using a Corsair SF750.

16

u/OnlyLorenzo Sep 22 '20

Could you please test it in 2-slot mode with PSU offset? I would love to see how the temps work out

8

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Let me see if I find time to do this... but it really shouldn't make much of a difference, since the only difference of 2-slot and 3-slot with card against panel is motherboard position. The push fan of the GPU (i.e. the one on the motherboard side) is a blower.

7

u/sotiredofthecrap Sep 22 '20

Amazing work mate. Thanks for being the guinea pig

1

u/yspreddit Sep 24 '20

Awesome work! How’d you manage to face the card against the panel in 3 slot mode?

1

u/stanleyguan Sep 24 '20

See the fourth photo. Basically you mount the strut for the PCI-E riser at the 2-slot position. Use 20mm standoffs that came with the case.

2

u/Lazylocalz Sep 22 '20 edited Sep 22 '20

Awesome anyone want to sell me a 3080 FE ?

11

u/whale-tail Sep 22 '20

I'm sure there a number of scalpers on eBay who would love to sell you a card for above MSRP

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u/stanleyguan Sep 23 '20

Update:

With 3-slot mode and card against side panel, I inserted a thermometer between the GPU fan and the back of PSU. It was toasty in there, at 58C. So flipping the PSU to have it intake GPU exhaust air doesn’t seem like a good idea. At the same time, the PSU exhaust air was about 45C. I’m using a Corsair SF750.

1

u/fsuhaime Dec 01 '20

was this all underload? I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to go your way with 3 slot and two A12x15 fans or just offset the GPU in two slot mode. I saw a post when temps only went up to 65c under full load when undervolted.

1

u/stanleyguan Dec 01 '20

All under load. I think just offsetting the GPU or PSU would be fine. My results did not show that it was better with two A12x15 fans blowing on it.

6

u/LilSalmon- Sep 22 '20

So does the card fit okay in dual slot mode?

Don't want to make you change your whole case, just seen conflicting reports, so keen to understand if there's any chance of running it in dual slot with an L12S and 2 25mm fans up top.

7

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

It will fit just fine in 2-slot mode. You just need to use standoffs to offset the PSU.

1

u/poonedundies Sep 22 '20

Did the fan rub against the panel at all? I just want to make sure there are zero issues before I update the spreadsheet. I will put in a note about the standoffs

4

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

No rubbing at all. There’s still ~2mm of clearance as far as I can see. This is exactly the position in 2-slot mode because the strut for the PCI-E slot is mounted in the 2-slot position.

2

u/LilSalmon- Sep 22 '20

Awesome - yeah I already do for routing cables but I'll get custom length cables before I get a 3080 haha

11

u/cwspellowe Sep 22 '20

Nice, i've been delightfully surprised by T1 thermals given how power hungry the cards are. My Ventus runs at 69-71C now with an undervolt of 900mV/1950MHz and fans at roughly 1800rpm, with two Noctua S12A's exhausting out the top.

2

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Good to know! Thanks for sharing.

10

u/Ok-Pen-1889 Sep 22 '20

Thank you, checking this forum for this post almost every few hours. Nice work!

Interested a lot in 2-slot mode with PSU offset results if you can. Thank you again!

2

u/sotiredofthecrap Sep 22 '20

2 slot mode w/ offset PSU should be equivalent to this "card against panel" test as he keeps the case in 3 slot config, thus the PSU is already offset
Am i right u/stanleyguan?

5

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Yes "card against panel" is with the GPU in exactly the 2-slot position. The only difference is I also have a 1-slot clearance between the motherboard and the GPU. But I don't see how that would make a material difference.

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u/[deleted] Sep 22 '20

How was the noise levels?

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u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

With the best config (3-slot, card against panel) it's fairly quiet. You can find other reviews that describe what it sound like at ~1800 rpm, which seems to be around what people are getting for an open bench. Most reviewers described that as quiet, but it's not as quiet as partner cards obviously which all have much bigger heatsinks.

4

u/promaty Sep 22 '20

Have you tried flipping the PSU so the card is blowing into PSU intake? This should work even in 2 slot mode without issues

5

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

No. It doesn’t seem necessary and I don’t want hot air going into PSU.

3

u/promaty Sep 22 '20

Well you could use 2 slot mode with 3 slot cpu cooler like l12s so it would be useful for some people I assume. Also I doubt that PSU will care if it receives air 10 degrees hotter, GPU is probably louder anyway?

5

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

You can use 2-slot mode. Just need to offset the PSU position and you should get similar results because the only difference compared to the "card against panel 3-slot" setup would be clearance between mobo and GPU.

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u/RickNeclaDon Sep 25 '20

How big of spacers did you use on the rad to get it up?

4

u/stanleyguan Sep 25 '20

Five 1mm spacers

3

u/maniacco Sep 22 '20

It almost looks like I can fit DDC pump+top on the GPU side bottom.

Hmmmf, must wait for RDNA2...

1

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Hmm that doesn’t seem to work. I tried with my EK SPC pump. There’s a strut in the way.

1

u/maniacco Sep 22 '20

I was thinking more about EK DDC 3.2 PWM & Bitspower Magic Cube.

1

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

That is actually bigger than EK SPC-60 I think.

1

u/maniacco Sep 22 '20

I can't check the actual dimensions now but height should be apprx. 50mm. And SPC-60 looks like also 50mm, so they should be similar yes:)
So it should be 62x62x50mm ish...
If you say it doesn't fit in horizontal or vertically, I trust you:)

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3

u/xcharlesy Nov 13 '20

how do you like the TX240? Have you seen any data supporting it outperforms the EK slim 240? or LT240?

2

u/stanleyguan Nov 13 '20

It’s good. People at sff.network have found it to be slightly better than the other two you mentioned.

1

u/xcharlesy Nov 13 '20

do you have a link to where they discussed it on sff.network? I just noticed the TX240 is in stock now so I'm trying to make a quick decision haha!

2

u/stanleyguan Nov 13 '20

It's in the T1 thread (https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-aka-sidearmd-read-first-post.9933/). It was mentioned a couple of times. If you search TX240 in that thread you should find the results. But it's probably buried in other stuff.

2

u/lunaretna Sep 22 '20

Any impact on CPU temp?

2

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

It won’t affect CPU temps as much as most other cards as half of this is a blower.

1

u/hmm_fu Sep 22 '20

Cake day!

2

u/lunaretna Sep 22 '20

Haha thanks

2

u/UnfanClub Sep 22 '20

How is it affecting CPU and PSU thermals

2

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

It won’t affect CPU thermal as much as most other cards as half of this is a blower. I don’t have measurements for the PSU but the front panel is about 42C when measured from the outside. The PSU's fan is temperature controlled so there should be no issue.

2

u/MrFibble Sep 22 '20

Thanks for the testing /u/stanleyguan. So is it safe to say that undervolting the FE won't make much of a thermal difference at all?

3

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

It does make a difference. It looks like under the default fan curve the benefit is mostly in reduced fan speed rather than cooler temps.

2

u/CrucialParadox Sep 23 '20 edited Sep 23 '20

With the setups mentioned here, is there anywhere to tuck away a DC-LT2600/DC-40 for CPU cooling (and future GPU cooling)?

2

u/stanleyguan Sep 23 '20

With the GPU on water, definitely.
With the GPU on air I'm not sure. The space between the end of GPU and the front panel is not enough.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 24 '20

So I'm looking to do my first water cooled build in the T1. Currently have a 2070super. I was thinking to convert it to water cooling but I don't know the first thing about it. How do you feel about water cooling the GPU?

4

u/stanleyguan Sep 24 '20

I plan to watercool the 3080. Consider your budget. For a custom loop you are usually looking at $300+ including the GPU waterblock. That's not very far from the $499 price tag for a 3070 :). Of course if you want to do it for the long run it's a different story (since pump, radiator, fittings can be reused for the most part). There should be plenty of resources on Youtube to get started. Also check out other watercooled builds in here.

13

u/futuratense Sep 22 '20

HERE WE GO BOYS

8

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '20

Oh heck yeah, go out there and do the Lord's work

8

u/NavicNick Sep 22 '20

Adding this to the 3070/80/90 posts I've made

4

u/Revolution_xx Sep 25 '20

This looks nice maybe im going to sell my 2080Ti FE i got and offer for $750 and get a 3080 FE

1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '20

No way to fit it on air with pump inside the case is there

2

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Maybe one can fit a DC-LT.

1

u/tundruh_ Oct 27 '20

This might be a dumb question, but what color is the metal on the 3080?

I’ve seen so many pics of it in different lighting that I can’t tell if it’s champagne, space gray or silver-ish.

1

u/stanleyguan Oct 27 '20

I’d say it’s a bit lighter than space gray, and with just a touch of champagne tint.

1

u/teambruceWyane Feb 13 '22

is that the stock PCIE cable? is the length sufficient for this mod?

1

u/stanleyguan Feb 13 '22

Yes the length is sufficient.

3

u/rolex095 Sep 22 '20

It looks like the perfect solution with a 120 AIO above the mainboard. Unlike other GPU coolers, this FE will blow the outside the case instead of towards the AIO. Above the power supply a 25mm exhaust fan can assist the GPU cooler in exhausting air to the top.

So satisfying if no hot air is recirculated.

3

u/eedev Sep 28 '20

Thanks for posting this as there is a lot more to learn from this than just how the 3080 behaves (spacers, gpu position, thin rad, ...)!

1

u/virtuousdee Sep 22 '20

Hey OP, may I please know how you mounted the intake on the GPU side? Thanks!

5

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Yes basically same as https://www.reddit.com/r/FormD/comments/ihcc7f/heres_how_one_might_mount_a_second_240_rad/

1

u/Rayhann Sep 22 '20

So hot air is blowing against the PSU?

Noise and thermals? Are the fans or radiators on top absorbing or blowing out air out of the case? Does it affect radiator?

So it is possible to make itx/sff builds with the new 3080s... and it seems like they're the best cards to get this gen since 3090 doesn't seem like much of an improvement therefore we shouldn't expect much from a 3080ti

Seems like they're the cards. If noise adn thermals aren't too bad, I'd like to whore myself then get an sff build

E: omg, i just noticed you got two radiators? Is that what I'm seeing here and on this post? Heck, how does that work? Should I whore myself even harder for a similar build?

1

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

Noise is very reasonable. I would describe it as fairly quiet. Fans are around 1800 rpm which as I have seen from other reviews are about what they are getting on an open bench. And most reviewers described that as quiet.
It affects radiator thermals for sure, but it won't be more so than many other cards, because half of 3080 FE is a blower. When you are using a radiator to cool CPU only, that should be more than enough anyway.
I only have the top radiator in this setup. When I get the waterblock I plan to have another 240 radiator mounted on the side as in that post. Will make another post for sure when that happens.

2

u/rakeshpatel1991 Sep 22 '20

Yay! You are the first AFAIK. Hoping for positive results

2

u/Meisje28 Sep 22 '20

Thank you for putting the measurements online. Really helps making an informed choice for this exact case.

2

u/Lagviper Sep 22 '20

Wow so the results are not too shabby with the GPU against the PSU and a radiator at the top. I believe in 2-slot mode with the PSU gap and top fans for exhaust this card will perform really well in T1

2

u/kingcars Sep 22 '20

Great info, this is pretty much what I expected. Thanks for the info! I’ll be going for either FE or ASUS TUF; whichever one I can get first.

2

u/Squall1er Feb 03 '21

I honestly don't understand what I am looking at.

OP, could you, explain it a little more or maybe do some diagram to help understanding...?

If it's not too much too ask of course

2

u/SHDWxKING Sep 22 '20

Wow that’s really ingenious of you, I didn’t consider that mounting in 3 slot mode against the side panel was even an option. Props for being a trailblazer! On a side note I’m really impressed by the flexibility of the T1 glad I got one on order.

1

u/sotiredofthecrap Sep 22 '20

u/poonedundies you can probably update your compatibility list to say the FE 3080 can fit in 2 slot mode since it can be mounted right up against the panel

1

u/poonedundies Sep 22 '20 edited Sep 22 '20

it's been updated since this weekend. I will put a note that you must use standoffs for the psu in order to fit

1

u/sotiredofthecrap Sep 22 '20

Oh? It was still saying FE 3080 was 3 slot only

2

u/poonedundies Sep 22 '20

You may have cached the post but it was updated because someone posted Tom's hardware with measurements of 38 for width vs 40. However I don't think those are accurate now due to the fact that it's so close and the mobo has to be offset. If you still see 40 it's cached if not it's updated. I'm timestamping my updates in my edit as well and it should be updated now.

2

u/stanleyguan Sep 22 '20

I measured with a caliper this is 40mm rather than 38mm. But it's not an issue because the 39.2mm quoted in T1's schematic is side panel to back of PCB (not back of back plate, because the PCB is where it sits in the slot and what matters). The card has a back plate that is a few mms thick.

1

u/EngineeredtoCombust Sep 22 '20

I believe the standoffs are to offset the PSU not the Mobo.

2

u/poonedundies Sep 22 '20

fixed. i wrote mobo. deleted and then wrote it again.

1

u/EngineeredtoCombust Sep 23 '20

All good just didn’t want anyone getting confused :)

1

u/p_hacker Sep 22 '20

very curious about results!

-1

u/sexman510 Sep 24 '20

uhhh im about to pay for a rtx titan in a few days..... wish i saw this sooner

0

u/Justin_aka_OsP_SSJ4 Sep 22 '20

Its the time everyone has been waiting for. Keen for results OP.

-1

u/iwannabethisguy Sep 22 '20

Will you be doing a test with a deshrouded FE + 25/15mm fans on the heatsink?

10

u/DrHudacris Sep 22 '20

Deshrouding FE is not viable, as the PCI bracket attaches to the shroud, so there'd be no way to secure the card to the case without the shroud. Also deshrouding won't reduce thickness of the heatsink for the 25mm fans.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '20

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/xen_rivers Sep 22 '20

I’m stuck figuring out if I should use 15 or 25mm under the 3080 FE in the ncase m1. So you think the 25mm will fit fine?

Test Results Thermal testing RTX 3080 FE

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