One of the fans has 1 broken blade (they are so fragile), could this have anything to do with it ? (temps are nearly the same as the other card, plus i put a 120mm fan to aid.
which leads to a fan that vibrates and won't spin at full speed (usually), and DEFINITELY decreases airflow for less cooling.
Might not be the issue if your temps are close, but it IS a future "fail point" even if the card is working NOW.