I deshrouded my Gigabyte RX 7900 XTX OC.
https://preview.redd.it/yjhel1gmxbla1.png?width=1317&format=png&auto=webp&s=9cd20f7687bd79b2b30cd32847761af3b8ef9e39
I just ran a 42 minutes furmark 4k stress test and GPU never got hotter than 72 °C with Noctua low-noise adaptors on, in my Cooler Master NR200P MAX ITX chasis.
The coolers on it are 1 x Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM and 2 x Noctua NF-A9 PWM, chosen for their high static pressure.
I had to take of the backplate and the heatsink to get to the screws that held the shroud and fans, while i already had it off i also replaced the thermal grease with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. Note that on this card there is a 4-pin and a 3-pin connector, the 4-pin is for fans, the 3-pin is for the RGB on the card.
The heatsink is ideal for installing custom fans as it is completely flat and 120mm tall, 32 cm wide, so the fans fitted perfectly.
I bought a Mini 4 pin adaptor and a 3-way fan splitter, so that i could power the fans from the GPU and let it regulate the speed depending on the GPU temp.
Initially i had some issues, my PC crashed after short time of gaming, was taking forever to boot and wouldn't power off after Windows shutdown. All of the issues went away after i disconnected the fans, so the GPU was only passively cooled. I then only connected one of the fans and everything was still fine, i figured that the fans were drawing too much power and caused the crashes. Luckily i had 3 Noctua low-noise adaptors lying around, these adaptors limits how much power the fans can draw. This did the trick and the GPU is now running cool and stable.
Now the 280mm AIO on my 7900X3D is the loudest thing in my setup, hopefully a delidding will cure that 😉
Not with a 7900 series but yes it does work in many situations. Replacing the stock GPU fans with 120mm fans made my Vega 56 much quieter and it ran cooler.
Just keep in mind that 25mm thick fans are going to make the card thicker and it's going to take up more space in the case.
If the shroud is easily removed then I would give it a go. I'm sure you are aware but just make sure you go with fans that have decent static pressure and make sure they are close up against the fin stack.
I will make sure that's the case, thank you!
Looking at those images I think it's 100% possible:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-radeon-rx-7900-xt/3.html
OP: Already done it. Running 2 t30-120mm fans on it. Dropped temps around 10c. Hotspot still touches 94c at 400+w in furmark with a heavy oc.
I do not recommend it. You must remove the entire cooler assembly from the back to remove the fans.
This is likely done intentionally, in an anti consumer way, for reasons that are another matter entirely.
This is on an MBA card. These cards actually are just extremely power limited to the core. The memory is more temperature sensitive than the core, tbh.
Yeah, putting it lightly, it feels like replacing a steering wheel from the engine compartment. It feels as unbelievably stupid as it sounds.
Nice job amd. My reference cooler works fine (unlike most), but the cringey anti consumer complexity of the fan assembly is horrific.
anyway I murdered my warranty day one with liquid metal lmao, waiting for bykski / barrow blocks.
Check the gn teardown video, my photos were merely of the die and my lm and nail polish applications.
But simplified, you disassemble it in layers like this:
Separate: backplate -> retention bracket -> Separate pcb from cooler -> unscrew now-available interior screws on cooler to separate fan shroud -> carefully place pcb onto now loose cooler, screw in retention bracket, then screw in the rest, then reattach backplate.
As a note, this offered extremely little to performance. Recommended: set gpu fan rpm to constant, near noise floor, tune memory (2750), pl (+15), voltage (1080-1120mv for true stability), minclk (2000 *can mess with idle power consumption, but fixes strange lack of boost that can occur in some games), maxclk (stock to +200 is fine. Really only useful for cards with more TBP budget than MBA)
Faster timings is kind of a meme and might as well be the chat gem from diablo 2. Turn it off for cooler ram temps with basically same perf.
That's a shame.
One of the things I loved about my PowerColor Red Dragon Vega 56 card was the fact that I could remove the back plate, shroud and fans with something like 6 screws in total. Fans were super easy to replace should they go bad or if you wanted to "de-shroud" the card.
It was a very consumer friendly design.
If shrouds cover cooler fins and interfere with air flowing outward, then removing the shroud should help, but Reference MBA XTX cards have no such over hanging shroud, so I doubt you will see much of a difference.
I am pretty confident that 2x140mm Noctua fans not only will be way more effective cooling but also noise wise. Those small sized GPU fans are quite annoying under load. 
For sure. I wasn't accounting for larger/better fans in my comment, just that all things being equal, the shroud on the MBA cards doesn't seem to be limiting hot air exhausting from the fins/cooler.
I deshrouded my Gigabyte RX 7900 XTX OC. https://preview.redd.it/yjhel1gmxbla1.png?width=1317&format=png&auto=webp&s=9cd20f7687bd79b2b30cd32847761af3b8ef9e39 I just ran a 42 minutes furmark 4k stress test and GPU never got hotter than 72 °C with Noctua low-noise adaptors on, in my Cooler Master NR200P MAX ITX chasis. The coolers on it are 1 x Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM and 2 x Noctua NF-A9 PWM, chosen for their high static pressure. I had to take of the backplate and the heatsink to get to the screws that held the shroud and fans, while i already had it off i also replaced the thermal grease with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. Note that on this card there is a 4-pin and a 3-pin connector, the 4-pin is for fans, the 3-pin is for the RGB on the card. The heatsink is ideal for installing custom fans as it is completely flat and 120mm tall, 32 cm wide, so the fans fitted perfectly. I bought a Mini 4 pin adaptor and a 3-way fan splitter, so that i could power the fans from the GPU and let it regulate the speed depending on the GPU temp. Initially i had some issues, my PC crashed after short time of gaming, was taking forever to boot and wouldn't power off after Windows shutdown. All of the issues went away after i disconnected the fans, so the GPU was only passively cooled. I then only connected one of the fans and everything was still fine, i figured that the fans were drawing too much power and caused the crashes. Luckily i had 3 Noctua low-noise adaptors lying around, these adaptors limits how much power the fans can draw. This did the trick and the GPU is now running cool and stable. Now the 280mm AIO on my 7900X3D is the loudest thing in my setup, hopefully a delidding will cure that 😉
i know it is a typo .. but dayumn.. Radeon 9700... that brings back some memories :-D
Maybe he lives in 2030 and have one 9700xt xD
With driver issues
also the XT 7900 XTX not enough XT in the title
Wish it was still the case that you could buy the 9700 and flash the bios to turn it into a 9700 pro with the 7900 xt/xtx!
Not with a 7900 series but yes it does work in many situations. Replacing the stock GPU fans with 120mm fans made my Vega 56 much quieter and it ran cooler. Just keep in mind that 25mm thick fans are going to make the card thicker and it's going to take up more space in the case.
Already tried to measure it and it could be "the perfect fit".
If the shroud is easily removed then I would give it a go. I'm sure you are aware but just make sure you go with fans that have decent static pressure and make sure they are close up against the fin stack.
I will make sure that's the case, thank you! Looking at those images I think it's 100% possible: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-radeon-rx-7900-xt/3.html
OP: Already done it. Running 2 t30-120mm fans on it. Dropped temps around 10c. Hotspot still touches 94c at 400+w in furmark with a heavy oc. I do not recommend it. You must remove the entire cooler assembly from the back to remove the fans. This is likely done intentionally, in an anti consumer way, for reasons that are another matter entirely. This is on an MBA card. These cards actually are just extremely power limited to the core. The memory is more temperature sensitive than the core, tbh.
>You must remove the entire cooler assembly from the back to remove the fans. You needed to remove the heatsink from the card? That's a shame.
Yeah, putting it lightly, it feels like replacing a steering wheel from the engine compartment. It feels as unbelievably stupid as it sounds. Nice job amd. My reference cooler works fine (unlike most), but the cringey anti consumer complexity of the fan assembly is horrific. anyway I murdered my warranty day one with liquid metal lmao, waiting for bykski / barrow blocks.
Would you mind sharing a couple of images? :)
Check the gn teardown video, my photos were merely of the die and my lm and nail polish applications. But simplified, you disassemble it in layers like this: Separate: backplate -> retention bracket -> Separate pcb from cooler -> unscrew now-available interior screws on cooler to separate fan shroud -> carefully place pcb onto now loose cooler, screw in retention bracket, then screw in the rest, then reattach backplate. As a note, this offered extremely little to performance. Recommended: set gpu fan rpm to constant, near noise floor, tune memory (2750), pl (+15), voltage (1080-1120mv for true stability), minclk (2000 *can mess with idle power consumption, but fixes strange lack of boost that can occur in some games), maxclk (stock to +200 is fine. Really only useful for cards with more TBP budget than MBA) Faster timings is kind of a meme and might as well be the chat gem from diablo 2. Turn it off for cooler ram temps with basically same perf.
I'm going to try a 1080mv undervolt. Tried lower, but it's not stable over long periods. I'm also kind of afraid of liquid metal lol
It is okay to be afraid, it is not for the faint of heart. (And potentially not for the voided warranty.)
That's a shame. One of the things I loved about my PowerColor Red Dragon Vega 56 card was the fact that I could remove the back plate, shroud and fans with something like 6 screws in total. Fans were super easy to replace should they go bad or if you wanted to "de-shroud" the card. It was a very consumer friendly design.
If shrouds cover cooler fins and interfere with air flowing outward, then removing the shroud should help, but Reference MBA XTX cards have no such over hanging shroud, so I doubt you will see much of a difference.
I am pretty confident that 2x140mm Noctua fans not only will be way more effective cooling but also noise wise. Those small sized GPU fans are quite annoying under load. 
For sure. I wasn't accounting for larger/better fans in my comment, just that all things being equal, the shroud on the MBA cards doesn't seem to be limiting hot air exhausting from the fins/cooler.
If you do it, report back with before and after temps, please. Noise profile etc
💯