390 Backplate vs No Plate (thermals)

With your previous help, I'm confident that i'll be able to run this card.
Now I have a choice of the older version without backplate VS new version with backplate. $25 difference. Does anyone know if that backplate helps reduce heat?


I found this following post in a review. But i'm not sure what to make of it.
He claims that there's a 30 degree difference. But the guy is taking his measurements from the plate itself, I think. Well of course that plate is going to be cooler than the circuit board! But that doesn't tell us anything useful, because the plate sits a few MM above the circuit board, it's just absorbing the rising heat. Shouldn't he be grabbing internal temperatures from the cards electronics?
This article doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe i'm not reading it right.

Does the backplate help at all?
Are those hot spots anything to worry about?












"We install the graphics card into our system and measure temperatures on the back of the PCB with our Fluke Visual IR Thermometer/Infrared Thermal Camera. This is a real world running environment playing Tomb Raider for extended periods of time.

I did note that the lack of backplate did cause a few hotspots to appear after intensive gaming sessions. Sapphire have since then updated the card, pushed the core clock further, and added a custom ‘Sapphire’ branded backplate to the PCB."
http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...pphire-r9-390-nitro-8gb-rev-2-w-backplate/22/

you can see here

rev.1 (no backplate)
http://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/zardon/sapphire-r9-390-nitro-8gb-review/20/

rev.2 (with blackplate)
http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...pphire-r9-390-nitro-8gb-rev-2-w-backplate/22/



only makes a few C difference, but looks alot nicer in the case

I see 2C (couple) difference in Furmark and idle. Idle, who cares! People shouldn't be running Furmark in the first place. Game temps were the same... so it leads me to believe there isn't really a difference.

If the backplate doesn't have a thermal pad between it and the PCB, it shouldn't make a difference at all temperature wise. Your call on if you want it for aesthetic and structural purposes.

hmmm ok, thanks for that graph. 2C deference is still a difference. Albeit not much of one.
I don't really care about heat, I care about noise. Although the two are closely linked. More heat, more noise.

Just for clarity... that difference is in a power virus application... AKA not a realistic load. Did you notice the gaming temperatures never changed?

Yeah you're right.

Although, it looks like I waited too damn long. The plate-less version is sold out lol.