Modders Create Quieter RTX 5090, 5080 Cards with 3D-Printed Shrouds and Noctua, Phanteks Fans
As excitement builds around Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs, modders have already begun making waves—before the official release. A group of DIY PC enthusiasts and modders are crafting custom versions of these next-gen graphics cards with 3D-printed shrouds and aftermarket cooling setups using fans from Noctua and Phanteks. Their goal? To significantly reduce noise and improve thermal performance—a challenge with today’s high-powered GPUs.
The stock designs of RTX 5090 and 5080 cards are expected to be massive, with triple-slot or even quad-slot heatsinks, making them powerful but potentially loud and thermally intensive. Anticipating this, modders have taken matters into their own hands. By designing custom fan shrouds with 3D printers, they’re optimizing airflow and creating a platform to mount quieter, high-performance fans—primarily from Noctua’s NF-A12x25 series and Phanteks’ T30 lineup.
A Custom Approach to Cooling
The key idea behind these mods is to swap out Nvidia’s stock fan configuration with aftermarket air-cooling that offers superior acoustics and efficiency. Noctua fans are well known for their ultra-low noise and industrial build quality, while Phanteks fans push more air at lower RPMs than typical GPU fans. These fans are mounted on tailored shrouds designed with CAD software and 3D-printed using high-heat-resistant polymers.
Several community-shared images and build logs show RTX 5090 and 5080 engineering samples or early test boards fitted with these unique mods. The results so far? Impressively low GPU temps under load—5 to 10°C lower than reference designs—and notably quieter operation, even under stress tests.
Why This Matters
With GPUs becoming more power-hungry each generation, managing heat and noise is increasingly important for gamers, creators, and PC enthusiasts. High-end graphics cards like the 5090 are rumored to reach 450W+ TDP, which demands serious cooling solutions. But louder fans can ruin the desktop experience, especially for users with silent or media-oriented PC builds.
This is where the modding community shines—creating quieter, smarter alternatives before official aftermarket cards even hit the market.
What’s Next?
While Nvidia partners like ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte will likely launch their own premium cooled models after the official GPU release, modders are leading the way in custom innovation. These early experiments with 3D-printed designs could influence future third-party coolers, or at least inspire enthusiast-grade solutions for DIY builders.
Until then, modders continue to prove that performance doesn’t have to come with noise—especially when you have a 3D printer and a passion for silence.
