The cooling solution used in a graphics card plays a huge role in determining its actual performance. A GPU with limited cooling will perform significantly less than a fully cooled GPU. This is due to thermal throttling, which limits the GPU's performance when a certain temperature threshold is exceeded.
To avoid this, you must opt for an aftermarket graphics card with a suitable cooling solution. Also, if you want to experiment with overclocking, you'll need a more powerful VRM setup and better cooling.
Application cases of cooling fans on graphics cards:
Since the GeForce RTX 4090 requires a lot of cooling, it makes more sense to opt for a liquid-cooled GPU, especially if you have less space. With air-cooled GPUs now occupying up to four sockets, liquid-cooled variants like the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Surpim Liquid offer a more viable option.
Being a liquid cooled card means you have to install a separate 240mm radiator on the case for the card to work properly. However, its relatively slim 2-slot design more than makes up for this, leaving you plenty of room to utilize the rest of yours.
Achieving such a staggering increase in performance in a single generation also poses a challenge for GPU cooling. With the GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid, MSI has solved this problem well with a low-profile pump that always ensures optimal flow. The pump is also equipped with a miniature copper base for efficient heat transfer.
