RTX 5080 “confirmed dead” as more thermal gel leaking issues surface

What started as a minor cosmetic complaint has now evolved into a more troubling pattern for a whole host of RTX 5080 graphics cards. First noticed over two weeks ago, the issue involves thermal interface gel leaking from the GPU, most frequently in vertically mounted setups. Gigabyte initially downplayed the reports, describing the leak as a harmless cosmetic irregularity. But growing evidence suggests otherwise.

The most recent case – which may be the most serious yet – was shared by a user on the Korean tech forum Quasar Zone. The user, Jang Min-woo, posted photos showing a Gigabyte RTX 5080 AERO model with visible gel leakage. According to Min-woo, the card began malfunctioning after several weeks of light daily gaming use. Symptoms included a display issue that only showed output on half the screen, a problem that was initially suspected to be monitor-related.

However, further inspection revealed the thermal gel had dripped down to the PCIe riser used for vertical mounting. After cleaning the gel and switching to a horizontal orientation, the issue briefly disappeared, but only for a short while. Following another gaming session and reboot, the display problem returned, and the card stopped functioning entirely. In a follow-up post, Min-woo confirmed the RTX 5080 was now non-functional.

Not the first report of RTX 5080 Gel leaking issues

This report directly challenges Gigabyte’s initial claims that the leaking gel has no effect on performance, reliability, or longevity. While the company has not issued a new statement, this development puts pressure on Gigabyte to clarify whether its internal testing overlooked a real fault in the thermal design of its high-end 50 series cards – or if this is an isolated defect affecting a particular production batch.

Until then, users – especially those with vertical GPU mounts – may want to keep a close eye on their cards for signs of gel leakage or performance anomalies.