What is this stain on my GTX 1080 die?

So my machine started getting uncomfortably hot so I decided to replace my IC diamond but noticed my GPU die had a stain or burn mark on it. I can't seem to get it off via chemical methods and I really dont want to scrape it with anything harder than a guitar pick. Any ideas as to what this is, what caused it, and how to get it off? I imagine it cant be good for thermal transfer.

 

Strange. Looks like the thermal compound started breaking down or degrading. Haven't really heard anything bad about IC Diamond for a long time but waaaaaay back in the day (circa 2010-2011) there were some rumors about issues with it. I don't think anything was ever proven though. Most the time stains won't interfere with heat transfer or if they do it's very very minimally. A couple follow up questions.

Were you running an overclock on it?
What was the hottest temp you saw on it?
Is the stain rough to the touch or smooth?

 

No
80-86
Rough when you run a finger nail over it
Smooth when you just touch it

 

Shouldn't be a real concern then, likely just a stain. Some thermal compounds do leave stains. Yours looks a little weird but should be ok. If you really realy want it gone Lapping would likely take it off. But that's kind of extreme.

 

Lapping the die? Never heard of that. If it's not super sensitive to scratching I can take either an abrasive compound or some fine steel wool to try and get it off. Just wanted to avoid doing that if it could damage the die

 

@Mr. Fox

Mind weighing in here?

 

Dies are pretty tough usually. At least for processors. Scratching them is a little harder to do. Not positive how different GPU dies are to processors but I imagine its pretty safe. I saw the below link posted in another thread but can't think of who posted it or where. Good example though at about 4:15 into the vid.
So disregard that lapping statement. I'm thinking of heat spreaders. If you can't remove it with alcohol or some type of thermal compound cleaner you won't be able to remove it. Harsh chemicals can damage the die package so wouldn't go that route and the silicon can be scratched and damaged with abrasives, so wouldn't do that either.

 

Some thermal compounds can cause discoloration on a die or IHS, I recall it on my old Ivy Bridge and it didn't affect performance. so you're probably fine.

 

Um, no. I do not recommend lapping the die. If you are under warranty it would void the warranty and the outcome could be tragic. Changing the height of the die by even a small amount could cause thermal problems. It could also weaken it and make it more susceptible to fracture (meaning dead GPU).

For the record, one of the GTX 1080 in my Clevo has a spot like that in one corner of the die and the 1080 in my Tornado F5/16L-G-1080 has a spot like that in the middle like yours. Both of them were like that when the machines were new when I first took them apart for repaste. I don't know what it is from. I think it could be inconsistency in manufacturing or something. Since I never had the opportunity to see the GPUs before they were installed for all I know they came from the factory like that. I have no way of knowing. I also saw discolorations similar to this with some of my 980M cards. I also notice that on most of my machines (all the dual GPU models) that the lettering on the die is very legible on some and others not very legible at all when the GPUs are brand new.

Honestly, if everything is working fine I would not worry about this.

I agree. I do not think it has any effect and not something to be worried about.