Case fit, airflow & thermals
A GPU that does not fit, or that cooks in a sealed case, will never deliver its paper spec — measure clearance and airflow.
Length, height, and slot thickness
Check GPU length against case GPU clearance, height against side-panel struts, and slot count against your motherboard’s PCIe spacing. “2.7 slot” and “3 slot” coolers are not interchangeable in tight ITX builds.
Airflow and dust
Positive pressure, filtered intakes, and exhaust paths matter as much as the cooler shroud. Dust buildup silently raises temps and lowers sustained boost clocks over months.
Acoustics and power limits
Many cards offer quiet or performance BIOS switches and power limits. A slightly lower power cap with quieter fans is often a better daily driver than maxed clocks with a jet engine.