RTX 3090 Repair Sydney

Home › Services › GPU & Graphics Card Repair Sydney › RTX 3090 Repair Sydney

Computer Repairs Pronto repairs RTX 3090 graphics cards at board level on our Sydney repair bench, including GDDR6X memory faults on both sides of the board, overheating rear memory, artefacting, no display, power-stage failures and short circuits. Each card is diagnosed before anything is replaced, so the quote is based on the part that has actually failed.

Sydney customers can bring the card to our workshop near Castle Hill by arrangement, and cards from the rest of Australia come to the same bench through our mail-in GPU repair service. If you have the 10GB or 12GB card, our RTX 3080 repair page is the one you want.

Request an RTX 3090 repair assessment

RTX 3090 Faults We Diagnose and Repair

RTX 3090 faults fall into the same four groups as any graphics card, power, memory, firmware and physical damage, but memory and heat come up more often than on most cards. That is because half of the card's memory sits on the back of the board, where cooling is weakest.

These are starting points, not verdicts. The card is diagnosed before it is quoted, because the same symptom can come from very different parts.

RTX 3090 Rear Memory: Why It Matters for Repairs

The RTX 3090 carries 24 memory chips, twelve on the front of the board and twelve on the back, and the back twelve are what make 3090 repairs different from 3080 repairs. The front chips sit under the main heatsink. The rear chips are cooled only through thermal pads into the metal backplate.

• How the chips are wired: each chip is a 1GB GDDR6X part running in a 16-bit mode, and the chips work in pairs, one on each side of the board, sharing a 32-bit slice of the 384-bit memory bus.
• Why the rear runs hot: a backplate sheds far less heat than the main cooler, so on many cards the rear chips are the hottest memory on the board under memory-heavy loads.
• Why diagnosis takes care: an error on one slice of the bus could be the front chip or the rear chip of that pair, so testing has to identify which one is failing before anything is removed.
• Why replacement takes care: a rear chip sits directly behind front-side parts, so the board is preheated from below and the other side protected while the chip is changed.

The RTX 3090 Ti changed this layout: it uses twelve 2GB chips, all on the front. More on that in 3090 vs 3090 Ti.

RTX 3090 Memory Temperature Problems

A very high memory junction temperature on an RTX 3090 is usually a thermal problem with the rear memory, not a failed chip, and a thermal service from $330 usually fixes it. HWiNFO and similar tools show the memory junction temperature as its own reading, separate from the GPU temperature.

Signs the memory is running too hot:

• The memory junction reading climbs quickly in games, rendering or AI work, while the GPU temperature looks normal.
• The fans stay loud even with a reduced power limit.
• Performance drops during long sessions as the memory slows itself to protect itself.

The usual causes:

• Rear pads that have hardened or compressed with age, so they no longer press the chips against the backplate.
• Pads of the wrong thickness fitted during an earlier repair or a home pad swap. Too thin and the chips barely touch; too thick and the backplate or cooler does not seat properly.
• Dried or unevenly spread paste on the GPU, which drives up the temperature of everything around it.

The fix is a full strip with pads measured to that board, front and rear, and fresh paste. Months at very high temperatures can weaken a chip, so the memory is tested once the card runs cool, and any chip still producing errors is quoted separately before more work is done.

RTX 3090 No Display Repair

An RTX 3090 with no display is usually repairable when the GPU core is healthy; the common causes are a failed power stage, corrupted firmware or a fault behind the display outputs. Start by checking whether the computer can see the card at all.

Spinning fans only prove that 12V is reaching the card's fan controller. They say nothing about whether the core or memory supplies are working.

RTX 3090 Artefacting and VRAM Problems

Artefacting on an RTX 3090, meaning coloured blocks, lines, flickering or corrupted textures, most often points to one of its 24 GDDR6X memory chips or to memory that is overheating. It can also come from the memory's power supply or from poor contact under the GPU.

On a 3090, check the memory junction temperature before assuming a chip has failed. If it is very high, a thermal service may stop the artefacts on its own. Our GPU artefacting guide covers the other checks worth doing at home.

RTX 3090 GDDR6X Memory Repair

Failed GDDR6X memory on an RTX 3090 can be replaced chip by chip, on either side of the board, from $530. The job differs depending on which side the failed chip is on:

1. Testing identifies the failing chip, including which chip of a front and rear pair is responsible.
2. For a rear chip, the board is preheated from below and the front-side parts behind it are protected before the chip is lifted with controlled hot air.
3. The pads on the board are cleaned and prepared, and a new 1GB GDDR6X chip of the correct type is fitted.
4. All 24 chips are retested, not just the new one.
5. Pads are renewed at the measured thickness on both sides, so the backplate makes proper contact with the rear memory again.

A second failed chip, or a memory fault combined with a power fault, adds to the cost, and the quote covers it before any work starts.

RTX 3090 Power Stage and MOSFET Repair

The RTX 3090 is rated at 350W, and the power stages that convert 12V for the core and memory carry almost all of that current, which makes them a common failure point; repairs start from $430. A power stage is an integrated package of MOSFETs, often called DrMOS, switched in sequence by a controller chip. When one fails it often fails short, pulling its rail down or tripping the power supply.

Founders Edition cards take their power through a single 12-pin connector; partner cards mostly use two or three 8-pin connectors. Partner boards also differ in how many power stages they use and how they lay them out, so parts are matched to the exact board.

The repair covers more than the failed part:

• Neighbouring stages, the controller and the capacitors on the same rail are checked.
• Each rail is brought up on a current-limited supply before the GPU gets full power.
• The card is run under sustained load to confirm the rail holds at full current.

RTX 3090 Short Circuit Diagnosis

A shorted RTX 3090 is diagnosed with the power off, by measuring each rail's resistance to ground to find the shorted rail, then locating the failed part on it. With memory on both sides, an RTX 3090 has capacitors and power parts front and back, so both sides are checked.

The failed part is found by feeding a small, current-limited supply into the shorted rail and watching the board with a thermal camera. The part that warms is where the current is going.

• Short on the 12V input: usually trips the power supply the moment the computer turns on.
• Short on the core or memory rail: often lets the fans spin while the card stays dark, or stops the card being detected.

RTX 3090 Crashing and Shutdowns Under Load

An RTX 3090 that crashes or shuts the computer down only under load has a problem with memory heat, power delivery on the card, or the power supply feeding it. The last one is easy to miss.

The RTX 3090 draws very short power spikes well above its 350W rating; Igor's Lab measured spikes over 580W on a factory-overclocked card. Most good power supplies ride through them, but an ageing or marginal unit can shut down, which looks exactly like a card fault.

Check these before sending the card:

• Power cables: run each 8-pin input from its own cable, not one cable with two plugs. On a Founders Edition, check the 12-pin adapter is fully seated.
• Memory temperature: watch the memory junction reading in HWiNFO. If it is very high, heat is the likely cause.
• Power supply: if the whole computer switches off rather than the game crashing, suspect the power supply first, especially if it is older or near the card's needs.

If the card passes every bench test, you pay the $150 diagnostic and get the results, so you know where to look next.

RTX 3090 Code 43 Hardware Faults

Code 43 means Windows has stopped the card after it reported a problem; if it survives a clean driver reinstall and follows the card to another computer, it is usually hardware. On an RTX 3090 that most often means memory, firmware or power. Rule out software first:

1. Remove the driver completely with a tool such as Display Driver Uninstaller.
2. Install the current driver.
3. If possible, try the card in another computer.
4. If Code 43 follows the card, send it for diagnosis.

On the bench, the memory is tested across all 24 chips, the firmware chip is read and checked against the correct version for that card, and every rail is checked at the right voltage.

RTX 3090 vs RTX 3090 Ti Repairs

The RTX 3090 and 3090 Ti look like the same card with a different badge, but their memory layout and power design differ in ways that change the repair.

What that means on the bench:

• The 3090 Ti has no rear memory, so the rear-memory heat problems above do not apply to it.
• Its memory chips are 2GB parts, so they are not interchangeable with the 3090's 1GB chips.
• Its higher power rating puts more load on its power stages and connector.
• The original 3090 was never made in a Lite Hash Rate (LHR) version, but firmware still has to match the exact board.

Founders Edition and Partner RTX 3090 Cards

We repair NVIDIA's Founders Edition RTX 3090 and partner cards from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, EVGA, Zotac, PNY, Galax, Palit, Inno3D and others.

Several higher-end partner models, such as the ASUS ROG Strix, MSI Suprim X and EVGA FTW3, have a dual BIOS switch. A card that stopped working after a firmware update can sometimes be recovered by switching to the other BIOS before it needs to come to us.

How We Diagnose an RTX 3090

Diagnosis moves from the safest checks to the most invasive, so testing never makes the fault worse. Steps that do not apply to your card's symptom are skipped.

1. Visual inspection, both sides. Burnt or cracked parts, liquid residue, damaged connectors, the state of the thermal pads front and rear, and signs of earlier repairs.
2. Cold resistance checks. The 12V input and each rail measured to ground with no power applied.
3. Current-limited power-up. A bench supply limits the current so a fault cannot draw enough to cause more damage.
4. Rail-by-rail checks. Each supply checked for the right voltage in the order the card brings them up.
5. Firmware. Where relevant, the BIOS chip is read and checked against the correct version for that board.
6. Memory testing. All 24 chips tested, with errors traced to the chip responsible, front or rear.
7. Heat testing. For faults that appear when warm, the card is run hot or the suspect area heated locally to reproduce the fault.
8. Quote. The fault, the repair, a fixed price and our view on whether it is worth doing. Nothing proceeds without your approval.
9. Repair, rebuild and test. Component work, pads measured front and rear, fresh paste, then sustained load with core and memory temperatures logged.

Can an RTX 3090 Be Repaired?

Most RTX 3090 faults can be repaired at board level, because the GA102 GPU itself is rarely the part that fails. Faults that are usually repairable:

• Failed GDDR6X memory chips, front or rear
• Overheating memory from worn or wrong-thickness pads
• Damaged power stages and MOSFETs
• Shorted or cracked capacitors and other small components
• Damaged power connectors and display ports
• Corrupted or mismatched BIOS firmware

What RTX 3090 Faults May Not Be Economical to Repair?

A failed GPU core, severe board damage or several major faults at once can make an RTX 3090 uneconomical to repair. The main ones:

• A degraded or damaged GPU core. It can only be replaced, and replacement GA102 cores generally come from salvaged cards, which makes the repair expensive and uncertain.
• Burning through the layers of the circuit board. Rarely reliable to repair on a card drawing 350W.
• Heavy corrosion or a cracked board.
• Several memory chips and power faults together.
• Damage from a poor earlier repair, such as torn pads under a memory chip.

If your card falls into one of these, we tell you after the diagnostic. You pay the $150 and any return postage, and you get an explanation of what failed.

RTX 3090 Repair Cost

RTX 3090 repairs start from $330, and the final price is fixed in the quote before any work starts. A rear memory chip is priced the same as a front one.

Interstate customers also pay postage both ways and choose their own service and insurance.

Is an RTX 3090 Still Worth Repairing?

Usually, yes: 24GB of memory keeps the RTX 3090 in demand for rendering and running AI models locally, which supports its second-hand value. Compare your quote with recently sold listings for a working 3090, not asking prices.

Repair usually makes sense when:

• The fault is a thermal service, firmware, a single power stage or a single memory chip.
• The quote is well under the price of a working used card. A used card comes with an unknown history; the parts we replace carry 12 months of warranty for the same fault.
• The card is out of warranty, bought second hand or already opened.

Repair may not make sense when:

• The GPU core has failed or the board is badly burnt (see above).
• Several memory chips and power faults add up to a large share of the card's value. We will say so after the diagnostic.
• The card is still under the manufacturer's warranty. Go to the retailer first; your consumer guarantee rights sit with them.

As an illustration: if working 3090s are selling for around $1,000 near you, a single memory chip from $530 or a power-stage repair from $430 is easy to justify.

RTX 3090 Repair Turnaround

Bench time for an RTX 3090 depends on the fault, from one business day for firmware work to ten for physical damage.

Any job waiting on a part depends on supply, and you are told before you approve the quote. Interstate customers should add postage time each way; the Australia-wide graphics card repair page has Australia Post's estimates by state.

What Happens After the Repair?

A repaired RTX 3090 is tested before it goes back, and you are told what was replaced and why. Testing covers:

• The computer detects the card normally.
• Every display output works.
• The card holds stable under sustained load while core and memory junction temperatures are logged.

The card is returned once the invoice is paid: collected from the workshop by arrangement, or posted back using your prepaid label or with return postage added to the invoice at cost.

Warranty: the parts we replace carry a 12-month warranty for the same fault. If that fault returns within the year because a replaced part has failed, bring or send the card back and the part is covered. To help the repair last, keep airflow across the backplate, since that is where the rear memory sheds its heat.

Typical RTX 3090 Repair Scenarios

These are common ways RTX 3090 faults present, what diagnosis usually finds and what the repair involves. They are fault patterns, not a promise about your card: every card is diagnosed on its own and quoted on what is found.

RTX 3090 Repair in Sydney

Sydney customers can drop an RTX 3090 at our workshop near Castle Hill in the Hills District, by arrangement.

• Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.
• Before you come: fill in the form below or ring first. We reply with what is likely wrong, where the price starts, and the workshop address with your job number.
• Can't get to us? Post the card from anywhere in the metro area and it comes back the same way, at the same price.

Our main GPU board-level repair page covers every other card model and the faults common to all of them.

Interstate RTX 3090 Mail-In Repair

An RTX 3090 can be posted to our Sydney repair bench from anywhere in Australia. We do not have workshops in other cities; the card travels to the Sydney bench and comes back once it has been repaired and tested.

1. Fill in the form below or ring 02 8428 9224. We reply with the likely cause, a starting price, the workshop address and a job number.
2. Post the card only, with its cooler and backplate fitted, in an anti-static bag inside a sturdy box with at least 5cm of padding on every side, and the job number inside. A 3090 is heavy, so pack it so it cannot move.
3. We confirm when it arrives, diagnose it and send a fixed quote. Nothing happens without your approval.
4. After repair and testing, the card goes back by your prepaid label or with return postage added to the invoice at cost.

You pay postage both ways and choose the service and insurance; for a card of this value, consider Extra Cover. The mail-in graphics card repair page has the full packing guide, and there are pages with postage estimates for Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an RTX 3090 be repaired?

Yes, in most cases. Failed GDDR6X memory on either side of the board, overheating memory, power stages, connectors, ports and firmware can all be repaired at component level. A failed GPU core, severe board damage or several major faults together may make repair impractical. The $150 diagnostic, waived if you go ahead, tells you which case applies.

Can the memory chips on the back of an RTX 3090 be replaced?

Yes. The RTX 3090 has twelve GDDR6X chips on the back and twelve on the front, and any of them can be replaced. A rear chip is changed with the board preheated and the front side protected, then all 24 chips are retested. Memory chip replacement starts from $530, front or rear.

Why does my RTX 3090 memory run so hot?

Half of the 3090's memory is on the back of the board, cooled only through pads into the backplate. When those pads harden, compress or were fitted at the wrong thickness, the rear chips run very hot. A thermal service with pads measured front and rear, from $330, usually brings the memory junction temperature back down.

Does my RTX 3090 need new thermal pads?

If the memory junction temperature climbs quickly under load while the GPU temperature looks normal, or the card was used for mining or long AI and rendering jobs, the pads are worth checking. Pads must be matched to the measured gap on that board; the wrong thickness can make things worse.

Why does my RTX 3090 have no display?

Usually a failed power stage, corrupted or mismatched firmware, or damage behind the display outputs. If the computer detects the card, look at firmware, memory and outputs; if it does not, a power rail is usually not coming up or the PCIe contacts are damaged. Spinning fans only prove 12V reaches the card.

Why does my PC shut down under load with an RTX 3090?

Either a fault on the card or a power supply that cannot handle the card's short power spikes, which go well above its 350W rating. Check that each power input has its own cable. If the card passes every bench test, you pay only the $150 diagnostic and get the results.

How much does an RTX 3090 repair cost?

From $330 for a thermal service or firmware recovery, $370 for connector and port work, $430 for a power stage and $530 for a GDDR6X memory chip, front or rear, with reflow or reball from $630. The $150 diagnostic is waived if you go ahead, and your price is fixed in the quote before work starts.

What warranty comes with an RTX 3090 repair?

Twelve months on the parts we replace, for the same fault. If the fault we repaired comes back within that year because a replaced part has failed, bring or send the card back and the part is covered. A different fault is a new job, diagnosed and quoted separately before any work is done.

Is an RTX 3090 still worth repairing?

Usually. Its 24GB of memory keeps it in demand for rendering and local AI work, which supports its resale value. Compare your quote with recently sold prices for a working 3090. A thermal service, a single memory chip or a power-stage repair is normally well worth it; several major faults together may not be.

How long does RTX 3090 repair take?

Usually one to two business days for thermal and firmware work, three to seven for power-stage and memory repairs on either side of the board, and five to ten for reball or physical damage. Faults that only appear when warm take longer, and posted cards spend time in transit each way.

Do you repair the RTX 3090 Ti?

Yes. The 3090 Ti uses twelve 2GB memory chips on the front only, a 450W power rating and a 16-pin connector on the Founders Edition, so its memory, power and firmware work is matched to the Ti board. Pricing starts from $330, with the $150 diagnostic waived if you go ahead.

Can an RTX 3090 be fixed after a failed BIOS flash?

Usually, yes. If the hardware is healthy, the BIOS chip can be reprogrammed directly on the board with the correct firmware for that exact model, from $330. Cards with a dual BIOS switch, such as the ROG Strix, Suprim X and FTW3, can sometimes be recovered by switching BIOS first.

Can I send my RTX 3090 from interstate?

Yes. Get a job number, then post the card to our Sydney bench in an anti-static bag inside a well-padded box. You choose the postage service and cover and pay postage both ways. For a card of this value, Extra Cover is worth considering. The card returns the same way once repaired and tested.

Do you repair Founders Edition and partner RTX 3090 cards?

Yes: NVIDIA's Founders Edition and partner cards from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, EVGA, Zotac, PNY, Galax, Palit, Inno3D and others. Board layouts, pad thicknesses and firmware differ between models, so parts and pads are matched to the exact card.

Request an RTX 3090 Repair Assessment

Tell us which RTX 3090 you have and what it is doing, including any memory temperatures you have seen. We reply with the likely cause, a starting price and how to get the card to us, from Sydney or interstate.

Related Pages

• GPU and graphics card repair in Sydney: every card model, drop-off near Castle Hill
• RTX 3080 repair: 10GB and 12GB cards, front-side memory, power and no display faults
• Mail-in GPU repair, Australia-wide: packing, postage and state-by-state times
• GPU artefacting guide: checks to do before sending a card
• Board level repair: laptop mainboards and other devices