Modders uncover RTX 50 series thermal throttling behind hidden hotspot sensors

NVIDIA's RTX 50 series graphics cards are running hotter than advertised, with modders discovering that the company removed access to hotspot temperature sensors in standard monitoring tools while the sensors themselves remain physically present. Using NVIDIA's internal MODS diagnostic tool, repair technicians have shown that cards like the RTX 5070 Ti throttle at 107°C even as software like Windows reports a much cooler 68°C.

"RTX 5070 Ti reaches the 107°C thermal limit while Windows reports 68°C."

VideoCardzNVIDIA RTX 50 hotspot sensor is still accessible through internal MODS diagnostic tool

The discrepancy means users relying on typical monitoring software may not realize their GPUs are throttling, degrading gaming performance without visible warnings.

Brazilian repair specialist Paulo Gomes demonstrated the issue on a Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti, according to Tom's Hardware. The card's hotspot sensor remained accessible through the MODS tool, revealing that the GPU was thermal throttling due to poor factory application of thermal interface material (TIM). After reapplying the thermal paste, hotspot temperatures dropped from 107°C to 100°C, a clear sign of suboptimal factory assembly.

"NVIDIA has removed GPU Hotspot temperature sensors from its RTX 50 'Blackwell' series GPUs, but mods have unlocked the measurement, revealing widespread thermal issues."

wccftech.comMods reveal NVIDIA RTX 50 GPUs have hidden thermal throttling issues after company removed hotspot temperature sensors

This hidden throttling, wccftech reported, affects real-world gaming performance, while NVIDIA's decision to only report average temperatures masks the problem from users and reviewers alike.

The discovery raises questions about NVIDIA's transparency, as the sensors are still on the hardware but blocked from tools like HWiNFO and MSI Afterburner. For now, only those with access to NVIDIA's internal MODS tool can see the full thermal picture, leaving most RTX 50 owners in the dark about potential performance losses.