Graphics Card Thermal Imaging Measurements (FLIR)

We use thermal imaging hardware, such as a FLIR camera, to visualize heat from the product or component being tested more accurately. FLIR is a brand short for Forward-looking Infrared. With a thermal imaging camera, a special lens focuses the infrared light emitted by all objects in view. A phased array of infrared detector elements scans this concentrated light. The detector elements create a very detailed temperature pattern called a thermogram. It only takes about one-thirtieth of a second for the detector array to obtain the temperature information to make the thermogram. This information is obtained from several thousand points in the field of view of the detector array. The thermogram created by the detector elements is translated into electric impulses. The impulses are sent to a signal-processing unit, a circuit board with a dedicated chip that translates the information from the elements into data for the display. The signal-processing unit sends the information to the display, where it appears in various colors depending on the intensity of the infrared emission. The combination of all the impulses from all of the elements creates the image. Hotspots on the card or PCB indicate temperature bleeds and how heat is distributed throughout a product.   

There are no strange/suspicious points of attention, so you shouldn't be worried about this cooler performance (for example, regarding the VRM).

Important note – the review is not directly comparable to Hilbert’s, as the conditions, hardware, and equipment are different; for example, the test is made in the chassis, not on the test bench, which influences the temperatures.