Tried using a heat gun to remove a GPU sticker and melted the backing plate

Had a 1080 Ti with a busted fan shroud I was pulling apart to clean. The warranty sticker on one of the screws was bugging me so I hit it with a cheap heat gun on low for about 10 seconds. That was too much - the plastic backing plate started bubbling right around the screw hole. Now the screw is stripped because the plastic warped and I can't get the mount off. Learned my lesson about using a hot air rework station set to 150C instead for delicate stuff. Anyone else wreck a card doing something dumb like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

sethfoster1mo ago

Did you try using a hair dryer on low instead next time, that usually works better for me.

emmam891mo ago

Didn't you feel that sick sinking feeling when it started melting?

davidkim1mo ago

Gave myself a minute to breathe and just watched it happen without trying to fix it right away. Turned off the machine, unplugged everything, and took a photo just in case I needed it later for support. Then I grabbed a towel and sat with it for a bit before cleaning up. Honestly, just stepping back and not panicking helped me figure out the next steps without making a mess worse.