Graphics card manufacturers are shipping many new products, so occasional mishaps in production are expected to happen. One Reddit user noticed “some little slips of blue” while inspecting their new PowerColor Radeon 6700 XT and discovered that adhesive tape was still on the cooling pads. Fortunately, this is an easy fix, but it could have potentially impacted the performance and lifespan of the card. It is unknown how this detail slipped past final inspection before shipping, but it is hopefully nothing more than a one-off.
As noted by Igor Wallosek, the mistake could have originated at the OEM factory that makes the coolers for PowerColor. They ship with the thermal pads already installed. Someone at the PowerColor factory must have simply forgotten to remove the covers. What is hard to understand is that the card still left the factory after final inspection and testing.
Source: r/Amd (via Igor’s Lab, VideoCardz)