A Reddit user in Western Australia discovered cracks forming in the waterblock of a Gigabyte AORUS RTX 5090 XTREME WATERFORCE graphics card after just 18 days of use. The owner, who posted under the username MagicManPie, shared images showing bubbles and fissures in the cooling component, indicating potential internal leakage. He stated the card had not been overclocked, subjected to excessive pressure, or otherwise mishandled, and that coolant levels remained within specifications. After reporting the issue, Gigabyte authorized a return merchandise authorization (RMA) and shipped a replacement unit within approximately two weeks. The company did not require additional documentation or extended negotiations, a timeline notably faster than typical industry standards for such defects. The user emphasized that early detection likely prevented more severe damage, such as coolant leakage onto the motherboard or adjacent components. This case emerged amid broader concerns about the reliability of high-end GPUs under water-cooling setups, particularly during a period of constrained graphics card supply. Other users reported similar issues with different brands, including a PNY RTX 5090 that was denied warranty service due to use of a non-company power cable, and an ASUS ROG Astral model with a defective USB-C connector that rendered part of its integrated display unusable. In contrast, Gigabyte’s prompt replacement avoided the protracted email exchanges and stock delays that left some customers without remedies. Retailers such as Newegg required the specific ROG Astral variant to be in inventory before offering a replacement, and in some cases, only provided refunds when replacements were unavailable. The incident underscores the importance of monitoring custom-cooled hardware for early signs of failure and the value of responsive manufacturer support in mitigating hardware risks.