Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 FE Does Not Necessarily Require Liquid Metal
Nvidia may have over-engineered the thermal solution for its GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (FE) graphics card, as recent tests indicate that a standard thermal paste performs nearly as well as the factory-applied liquid metal. While the liquid metal application can still provide some benefits, the performance difference is not as significant as many might expect.
According to testing by TechPowerUp, Arctic MX-6 thermal paste – which costs around £6 – yielded results very close to those achieved with the liquid metal thermal interface that Nvidia uses in the RTX 5090 FE. When switching to the regular thermal paste, the GPU’s temperature rose by only 1.8°C. While small temperature differences are common between different thermal compounds, this result is surprising given the well-known reputation of liquid metal for its superior thermal conductivity. In fact, liquid metal is used by Sony in its PlayStation 5 consoles and by many laptop manufacturers for similar reasons.
The testing process involved running the GPU through a series of steps to heat up the vapor chamber and cooling fins. After approximately six minutes, the maximum temperature reached 77.6°C with the liquid metal applied, and 79.4°C with Arctic MX-6. This slight temperature difference is negligible and could easily be attributed to minor variables, such as dust accumulation or environmental conditions like seasonal temperature changes. Importantly, the test parameters were kept consistent, including fan speeds, to ensure accuracy.
Both thermal paste options provided similar performance to the card’s out-of-box state, and the GPU did not experience any thermal throttling. The RTX 5090 has a higher thermal limit than its predecessor, the RTX 4090, with a maximum operating temperature increased from 83°C to 90°C. This ensures that the GPU remains well within safe operating temperatures, even factoring in hotspot temperatures, which Nvidia does not disclose to users.
These findings suggest that users can comfortably reapply thermal paste on their RTX 5090 FE without experiencing any noticeable drawbacks. For example, if the GPU begins to run hotter after several years of use, or if a liquid cooling block is installed, standard thermal paste can be a suitable alternative. Additionally, some users may prefer using regular paste due to its non-conductive properties, in contrast to the potentially hazardous conductive nature of liquid metal.
One might wonder why Nvidia opted to use liquid metal in the first place, given its potential risks. The most likely reason is to maximize thermal performance. As discussed in the development video for the Founders Edition, Nvidia aimed to achieve the best possible thermal efficiency in a dual-slot design. With the RTX 5090, it seems that Nvidia has succeeded, as the 575W power-hungry GPU stays under 80°C even under load, thanks to the superior cooling solution that liquid metal provides.