Gigabyte releases statement regarding SP-CAP and MLCC Capacitors on GeForce RTX 3080/3090 Graphics Cards
Gigabyte releases statement regarding SP-CAP and MLCC Capacitors on GeForce RTX 3080/3090 Graphics Cards
As we discussed yesterday, electrical engineering is a complex subject, especially within the realms of high-end computational devices. Many reviewers and pundits have quickly jumped onto the controversy to claim that some companies are using cheap components, or have opted to release sub-par graphics card designs. This is not the case. The “POSCAPs” witch hunt must end.Â
Yesterday, Nvidia released its Geforce 456.55 WHQL drivers to improve the stability of its RTX 3080 graphics cards, addressing RTX 3080 stability issues for many gamers. RTX 3080 stability issues affected all major GPU manufacturers, regardless of the capacitors that they used. As of now, RTX 3080 stability issues appeared to be due to a software problem, not a hardware problem.Â
Below, we have a statement from Gigabyte which refutes the “false” claims that POSCAP capacitors could cause RTX 3080 graphics cards to crash. Each capacitor type and model has its own characteristics, and different models offer different specifications and use cases. To say that either POSCAPs or MLCCs are better than the other is a foolish statement. It’s like saying that a ceramic mug can contain more water than a glass cup; it all depends on the size of the mug/cup in question.Â
Below is Gigabyte’s statement in full.Â
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  In response to the recent reports speculating that the use of POSCAP capacitors on the GeForce RTX 3080/3090 graphics cards could lead to stability issues and crashes, we would like to clarify the issue with the following statement:
1. It is false that POSCAP capacitors independently could cause a hardware crash. Whether a graphics card is stable or not requires a comprehensive evaluation of the overall circuit and power delivery design, not just the difference in capacitor types. POSCAPs and MLCCs have different characteristics and uses, thus it is not true to assert that one capacitor type is better than the other.
 2. The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 30 graphics cards are designed in accordance with NVIDIA specifications, and have passed all required testing, thus the product quality is guaranteed. GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080/3090 GAMING OC and EAGLE OC series graphics cards use high-quality, low-ESR 470uF SP-CAP capacitors, which meet the specifications set by NVIDIA and provide a total capacity of 2820u in terms of GPU core power, higher than the industry’s average. The cost of SP-CAP capacitors is not lower than that of MLCCs. GIGABYTE values product integrity highly and definitely does not reduce costs by using cheap materials.
NVIDIA has released a driver (version 456.55) on September 29, 2020 that improves stability. Users are advised to update to the latest driver for optimized performance. For users who encounter power-related issues with GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards, GIGABYTE will provide product replacement, free of charge.
GIGABYTE has been constantly improving and optimizing product quality, especially in terms of thermal designs, to provide the best gaming experience to the consumers for decades. For the latest AORUS GeForce RTX 30 graphics card series, we have also paid extra attention to the cooling performance and introduced industry-leading solutions such as MAX-Covered Cooling to ensure that the operation of each component is stable.
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Gigabyte Exceed’s Nvidia’s hardware requirements
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A lot of gamers are now saying that companies have “cheaped out” by using POSCAPs/SP-CAPs on their RTX 3080/3090 designs. This claim is not true. As mentioned before, it all depends on the specifications of the capacitors that you use.Â
In Gigabyte’s case, their RTX 3080/3090 Gaming OC and Eagle OC models use 470u SP-CAPs, more than doubling the hardware requirements of Nvidia’s reference specifications. Has Gigabyte “cheaped out” on their RTX 3080/3090 designs, they would have used lower quality SP-CAPs.Â
Gigabyte has designed its custom RTX 30 series GPUs “in accordance with NVIDIA specifications, and have passed all required testing”. Gigabyte has also stated that the “cost of SP-CAP capacitors is not lower than that of MLCCs.”
With Nvidia’s latest drivers, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 users should not experience the same stability issues as before. If power-related issues persist, “GIGABYTE will provide product replacement, free of charge.”
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| Model | Nvidia RTX 3080/3090 Reference Design |
Gigabyte RTX 3080/3090 Gaming OC & Eagle OC |
| GPU Core Power |
SP-CAP 220u/9m OHM *5 |
SP-CAP 470u/6m OHM *6 |
| Total Capacity (u) | 1320u | 2820u |
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You can join the discussion on Gigabyte’s statements regarding SP-CAP and MLCC capacitors on RTX 3080/RTX 3090 graphics cards on the OC3D Forums.Â