Why do Nvidia put their logo on their GPU? Doesn't it affect heat transfer?

The reason we need to use thermal paste is to fill small gaps that we can't even see or feel for better heat transfer.

Doesn't Nvidia stamping text on the die of the GPU completely go against this? Some people even go to the effort of lapping CPU dies to make sure they're as smooth as possible, and then you have surface differences you can literally feel with your fingers thanks to Nvidia...

 

My guess is that it doesn't affect thermal transfer enough in their case for them to have to avoid doing it. GPUs are much less thermally dense than CPUs due to the significantly larger die size. Since there's more surface area to cool the chip, it probably doesn't matter as much.

Having the GPU die be as smooth as possible would be ideal for heat transfer, but the logo being on the die probably doesn't affect it enough for Nvidia to care. Their GPUs still run at reasonable temps even with that stamp (with a proper cooling system that is).

 

Yeah to be fair, I've never had issues with GPU temps, always the CPUs. But lower temps are always nice, especially when it could be achieved by something as simple as leaving the surface smooth.

 

I completely agree. The absolute lowest temps should always be the target since lower temps decreases electrical resistance, which in turn decreases power draw. Maximum efficiency should be the goal. This gives us more power headroom for overclocking!

 

Its not stamped, nor printed, its laser engraved on the die, there is no different material, just a bit less polished surface to scatter light.

 

But surely if I can feel the difference in texture with my finger, that's a lot of space between the die and the heatsink, more than the micro imperfections?