Overclocking the EVGA GTX 980 Classified with LN2

Normally when I’m done overclocking I like to restore my equipment and will usually put everything back into their boxes for easy storage.  In the case of the EVGA GTX 980 Classified that requires removing all of the extreme overclocking gear and any insulation that has been installed.

The first part is to remove the GPU Pot which also gives you a glimpse into how good the mount was.  In my case I would call this pretty much perfect however one corner was up that likely attributed to some of my random temperature issues. 

Mounting the GPU pot is a trial and error process of checking temperatures between the thermocouple and processor die.  If the numbers don’t look right then you get to start over.  I had some really good temperature readings and decided to go with it. 

The mount is something overclockers need to watch since it can make or break record overclocking runs.  Some also claim that a bad mount can degrade the processor due to inconstant cooling.  I personally haven’t seen that happen and could just be overclocker superstitions.

Kneaded eraser is easily removed and remains pliable like when you first installed it.  I keep mine in a ziplock bag to help keep it clean.  The eraser is quite sticky and works wonders to artfully remove charcoal dust but also has a nasty habit of picking up metal shavings if you have any floating around.

Next I flipped the card over and peeled away the liquid tape.  As you can see in the photo is simply peels off the card.  Remember how I said the tape needs to be a certain thickness to be peeled away?  You’ll notice some smaller chunks being left behind.  These scrape off with your fingernail or with any small plastic scraper.

Finally reassemble the stock ACX cooler.  Keep in mind that the stock heatspreader will no longer fully reinforce the PCB which gives you a perfect excuse to install a custom EVGA backplate.  Not only does it look good and improve cooling but stiffens the PCB for more security.