Tips & Tricks for GPU pot mounting & use

[Kona64]

Hey all, i recently got my hands on a 1080ti for ln2 and have been encountering problems which i'm quite confident come from cracking thermal paste. I haven't been able to find much good info online on gpu pot mounting and other tricks people might use to help with cracking, paste applications, etc... so i thought i'd make a post asking for any and all advice so others facing the same issue can find answers. 
Setup: i've been using kryonaut on my 1080ti KPE and an early version of what i beleive is a kingpin fat. been having issues when i go cold, gpu will run benches 100% stock but as soon as i generate enough heat (be it thru just increasing voltages past ~1.4V, or running 1.35V then increasing clocks) the gpu crashes, so after extensive remounting and testing and research i've attributed the issue to thermal paste cracking and have been trying to figure out what i can do. 

There are a few threads about this type of issue for cpu XOC with a decent amount of info, but nothing on GPU's.

My mounting procedure usually involves applying a layer of paste on the die evenly with a spatula, putting the pot on, getting the screws well tightened with my bare hands, heating it up to ~35c, giving each screw a lil extra tightening, then going cold.

[Kona64]

Someone linked me this which is very informative: 

 

[Splave]

"My mounting procedure usually involves applying a layer of paste on the die evenly with a spatula, putting the pot on, getting the screws well tightened with my bare hands, heating it up to ~35c, giving each screw a lil extra tightening, then going cold."

 

You're creating expansion when heating it up. Try tightening more when you're at 0c  and things have shrunk a bit

[ozzie]

what spave said

that video is not in my opinion of how it should be done, all thats gunna happen there is paste is going to spew out everywhere, total waste of paste, theres enough paste there to do a cpu and gpu and the method is the same for both, a nice little dob of good quality paste and spread it,  nice flat clean pot or cooler surfaces, the heat generated will do the rest for you

[Kona64]

ah i see, i tried the videos method twice yesterday and both cracked, will try the 0c method later today! thanks!