GPU Review: MSI RTX 3060Ti Aero ITX OC LHR

 
Note: The conclusion of this video card has been updated due to increased availability as of 7-27-2022.
 
The MSI RTX 3060Ti Aero ITX 8G OC LHR (Aero 3060Ti for short) is a one-of-a-kind video card. It’s currently the only single fan RTX 3060Ti on the market, and the only 3060ti designed to fit ultra-compact ITX cases. The card’s length is a mere 172mm. The next smallest 3060Ti is the EVGA RTX 3060 TI XC Gaming, and is nearly 3cm longer at 201.8mm long. Three centimeters may not sound like much, but in the small form factor world it’s the difference between a card that fits and buying a new case.
For those that need a card this small and want a 3060Ti, this is their only option. If you fit into that category, the question isn’t so much of “Are you going to buy it?”, but rather “What you can expect when you get it?”.
 
The Card
The Aero 3060Ti is very compact but sports a heft to it. The plastic...

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[Valantar]

if you managed to test it prior the removal, did removing the backplate help or impact temperatures of the card?

I wrote to MSI previously and they claim that the backplate 'helps' with the thermals of the card.

I see no sign of thermal pads having touched any part of the rear of the PCB (there would most likely be some kind of residue or impression), and without that, the backplate is only an airflow and thermal radiation barrier. It could help if it had pads, but ... meh. It's a thin, flat piece of metal, and the card has no heat generating components on the back. Its effects would be negligible.

 

[sffpcMotive]

Thanks for sharing. Just curious, did you see any improvements in terms of noise / temps after the repasting with NT-H1?

I was getting a max of 75-76 during the quick stress test I did for it.
Honestly, which was not the brightest idea, I did the teardown right after unboxing the GPU. So I don't know what the stock temps would have been like. I do plan on repasting with Kryonaut Grizzly and replacing the thermal pads to something higher end in a couple weeks.

 

[sffpcMotive]

I see no sign of thermal pads having touched any part of the rear of the PCB (there would most likely be some kind of residue or impression), and without that, the backplate is only an airflow and thermal radiation barrier. It could help if it had pads, but ... meh. It's a thin, flat piece of metal, and the card has no heat generating components on the back. Its effects would be negligible.

Right so the backplate did not actually have any thermal pads on it. Also its not even metal, just some kind of hard plastic.

 

[Revenant]

Recently received mine and thought I'll share the teardown I did for it.

Thanks for doing the tear down. I had to move mine into my SFF production machine right away so I didn't have time. Based on what I'm seeing in your pictures, MSI has improved their production quality. I've torn down their cards before and seen missing thermal pads and half-covered memory.

What RPM is your fan spinning during stock 100% load?

Also, where did you purchase it?

 

[Valantar]

Right so the backplate did not actually have any thermal pads on it. Also its not even metal, just some kind of hard plastic.

Wow, really? If that's the case, it definitely won't be helping thermals any. Good riddance, I say.

 

[Revenant]

Wow, really? If that's the case, it definitely won't be helping thermals any. Good riddance, I say.

Most back plates do nothing except trap heat.

 

[sffpcMotive]

Thanks for doing the tear down. I had to move mine into my SFF production machine right away so I didn't have time. Based on what I'm seeing in your pictures, MSI has improved their production quality. I've torn down their cards before and seen missing thermal pads and half-covered memory.

What RPM is your fan spinning during stock 100% load?

Also, where did you purchase it?

I was getting about 3300 RPM at 100% Fan Speed.

At first, I tried buying the graphics card from a Newegg Seller "Vooyit" but after 4 weeks of no shipping update, I ended up getting refunded. So that lead me to a website called "FROM JAPAN" where I was able to purchase the GPU through "Rakuten JP" from their website. At the time of purchase, Rakuten JP was having a 7% off discount and I had a 5000 Yen off promo code in my emails from "FROM JAPAN". After doing the smart checkout and paying with PayPal, the complete total ended up being $757.90. I received the gpu from DHL within 5 days from the date of purchase which was quite astounding.