Gigabyte has acknowledged the recentlyreported thermal gel leakage issueplaguing its latest RTX 50-series graphics cards. The company’sofficial responsecomes just a few days after a forum post on the Korean PC hardware communityQuasar Zoneshowed thermal gel seeping from a recently purchasedRTX 5080card. Additionally, it was found that the issue was not limited to a particular model but nearly the entire lineup of RTX 50-series graphics cards from Gigabyte.
In its response, Gigabyte says that its NvidiaRTX 50 seriesand AMDRadeonRX 9000 series GPUs utilize a specially engineered thermal conductive gel instead of traditional thermal pads. As per the company, this material is designed to provide better contact across uneven component surfaces and is applied using fully automated machinery to reduce human error.
The thermal conductivity gel solution is also said to have undergone rigorous testing and validation, including drop tests, thermal simulations under extreme conditions, and usage in both vertical and horizontal GPU orientations. That last bit is important, as the original author of the post mentioned using their Gigabyte graphics card with a riser kit in a vertical orientation.
The company explains that the thermal gel is an insulating, deformable, putty-like compound capable of withstanding temperatures up to 150°C without melting. However, Gigabyte admitted that some early production batches may have received an over-application of the gel, which could explain the visible leakage observed by users. While the company acknowledges the cosmetic irregularity, it emphasizes that the issue does not compromise performance, stability, or product lifespan.
Gigabyte also says it has since adjusted the gel application volume in newer production runs to prevent similar leakage in future shipments. Notably, the company has not announced any recall or replacement program, which isn’t surprising considering the massive demand and limited supply of GPUs. Affected users are encouraged to contact regional Gigabyte customer service centers for further support.
While it is reassuring to see Gigabyte taking swift action with its response, one cannot simply overlook the incident. For most users, spending thousands of dollars on a high-end GPU comes with the expectation of flawless performance and build quality. Discovering a defect, even if cosmetic or non-critical, can shake consumer confidence, especially when it involves premium hardware.FollowTom’s Hardware on Google Newsto get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. verify to click the Follow button.
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Kunal Khullar is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. He is a long time technology journalist and reviewer specializing in PC components and peripherals, and welcomes any and every question around building a PC.
