Need Help Getting Graphics Card Out of Dell XPS 435T

[DanZim]

I'm trying to remove my graphics card (HD 5870) out of a Dell XPS 435T but hit a road block.

There's a black plate attached to the card that extends past the video card and attaches to a black piece of plastic that's in front of a fan...

For the life of me can't figure out how to remove the card with that blocking it.

Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[Harvey]

In the pic, below, you can see the hooked area at the back of the pc board connector. The release for it would be around that area. I can't be sure from your pic, but under the fan, near the center of the area you circled, there appears to be a release lever.

Hope that helps.

 

[Termie]

I'm trying to remove my graphics card (HD 5870) out of a Dell XPS 435T but hit a road block.

There's a black plate attached to the card that extends past the video card and attaches to a black piece of plastic that's in front of a fan...

For the life of me can't figure out how to remove the card with that blocking it.

Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Welcome to the forums, DanZim!

In the pic, below, you can see the hooked area at the back of the pc board connector. The release for it would be around that area. I can't be sure from your pic, but under the fan, near the center of the area you circled, there appears to be a release lever.

Hope that helps.

Harvey - that's a good thing for the OP to keep in mind, but that's not his problem.

What he's referring to is the video card mounting device used by Dell (and I assume other OEMs) to secure large video cards for transport/shipping. As someone who's ruined a high-end video card by shipping it installed in a PC, I know that the device by Dell certainly has merit.

Now, on to the OP's question - how to uninstall it...

I can't quite tell how it's connected from the small picture included here, but my guess is that there's a plastic extension bolted to the graphics card, perhaps with two screws. I see one right at the end of the video card's fan shroud. It appears that the black plastic device is all molded as one piece, so unless it unclips somewhere, unscrewing it from the video card may be your only option. My guess is that the black plastic device is attached from below the case, with several screws through the bottom of the case, but it's impossible to know from the picture whether they are accessible.

Anyway, more pictures would certainly help us figure out how to get the video card unhooked from that contraption!

 

[Face2Face]

Already answered for him here - http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/p/19499184/20332481.aspx

 

[Termie]

Already answered for him here - http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/p/19499184/20332481.aspx

No it isn't. That generic guide doesn't illustrate the use of a VGA retention device such as the one holding his HD5870 in place.

Edit: on second thought, it does seem to answer the question at the bottom of the page, at least indirectly. It should just slide out.

 

[Face2Face]

No it isn't. That generic guide doesn't illustrate the use of a VGA retention device such as the one holding his HD5870 in place.

Opps... Although it does show the video card with the VGA retention bracket installed. It looks like it from the picture the bracket is stabilized with the help of the front fan cage. Maybe remove the screws that hold it down? It may come out along with the video card?

 

[Termie]

Opps... Although it does show the video card with the VGA retention bracket installed. It looks like it from the picture the bracket is stabilized with the help of the front fan cage. Maybe remove the screws that hold it down? It may come out along with the video card?

You know, I think you were actually right the first time. Looks like that retention device attached to the end of the video card near the fan simply slides out, and shouldn't be "locked in" at all. Maybe something else is the problem, like the screws near the PCIe bracket, or the clip that on the PCIe slot that Harvey mentioned.

Maybe the OP thought that he had to detach the extension at the end of the card when in fact he just has to slide it out.

 

[ElFenix]

You know, I think you were actually right the first time. Looks like that retention device attached to the end of the video card near the fan simply slides out, and shouldn't be "locked in" at all. Maybe something else is the problem, like the screws near the PCIe bracket, or the clip that on the PCIe slot that Harvey mentioned.

Maybe the OP thought that he had to detach the extension at the end of the card when in fact he just has to slide it out.

i can't imagine that the extension is actually screwed in. no need for it. it's there for support during shipping and so long as it's captured by sliding there's no need for another screw.

 

[DanZim]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that helped, brought it to a repair shop this morning and turns out the retainer clip on the motherboard was broke.

Really appreciate the posts. Thank You!