In a nutshell: Manufacturers often have to balance size, noise, and cost when deploying stock GPU cooling solutions. The end result can usually get the job done, but just barely. Third-party coolers do exist but as YouTuber TrashBench recently highlighted, you can also cash in on cooler temps with a little out-of-the-box thinking.
In his latest video, TrashBench took a stock Asus RTX 2060 and subjected it to some "experimental" cooling solutions. Baseline load temperatures checked in at 74 C, and he was able to get this down to 73 C just by slapping some passive heatsinks and a fan on the GPU backplate. Removing the backplate entirely cut temps by five degrees over stock, but the real fun was soon to follow.
The modder applied putty to the back of the PCB and affixed a couple of heatsinks, which brought temps down 10 C over stock. Next, he removed the stock cooler and replaced it with an oversized Thermalright CPU cooler, resulting in a drop of 27 C over stock. A second tower cooler was then added to the rear of the card, resulting in a 31 C drop compared to stock.
TrashBench no doubt went overboard, but it was more in an effort to try and find solutions that actually moved the needle. Truth be told, nobody is going to slap dual CPU coolers on a seven-year-old GPU and use it in their main gaming rig, but it is fun to see what is possible if you do.
Realistically, there are plenty of steps you can take to optimize your current setup. For starters, make sure your case has proper airflow. Strategically placed cooling fans and good cable management can lower load temps by several degrees. Removing the stock GPU cooler and reapplying a quality thermal paste will usually net you a few degrees as well without breaking the bank. Upgrading to a quality aftermarket air or water cooler can also be a solid return on investment.
As TrashBench highlights, you don't always have to overthink it – simply putting a fan on top of the card lowered his stock temps by 13 degrees.
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