I purchased my PNY GeForce RTX 5080 ARGB OC card back in November, and I immediately noticed a plastic-like smell when it was under load. I ended up swapping it out in December, but the new card still has a smell, just not as strong. It doesn't smell like it's burning, more like a slight chemical or plasticky odor. Is this something I should expect with new graphics cards, or should I consider exchanging it again?
3 Answers
It sounds like a normal break-in smell. A lot of new electronics can have that plastic scent when they first get used. It usually fades away after some time and use, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it right now.
Did you remove all the protective films that come on new GPUs? There can be several of them, and if any are left on, they might produce some smells when heated. It’s worth having a look just to be sure.
Make sure to check the power cables. Sometimes if they’re overheating or melting, that can cause strange smells. It’s always good to double-check that everything is connected properly.
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