Securing a graphics card to reduce sag

[dkm777]

Hi guys,

Yesterday I was poking around in one of my rigs and noticed that my Sapphire HD7970 Vap-X is tearing a PCIe slot off with its weight. Are there any devices on the market that could help me here? I could ghetto-rig something out of zip ties, but that would be messy and ugly. Oh, and don't suggest a Silverstone FT-02. I really want one, but can't afford it.

 

[Ayah]

Why not just support it with a wood dowel or something?

 

[lavaheadache]

I think Powercolor makes a GPU jack

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Jeez. Does this happen?

 

[dkm777]

Jeez. Does this happen?

Look and be horrified:

My card is also on a Gigabyte board and in the same style slot. I'm scared.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Hawh

 

[Fastx]

PJ (vid)

http://www.techpowerup.com/125989/P...owerJack_Graphics_Card_Support_Accessory.html

 

[aaksheytalwar]

In India PJ = Poor Joke

 

[NickelPlate]

Holy cracking slot connectors Batman! Was this card's mounting bracket screwed down at the back of the case?

 

[Arkadrel]

Someone else posted this, on techpowerup that was linked:

+ "problem solved"


I kinda agree.
Hanging the GPU by the metal bracket, is probably the "best" solution atm to heavy GPU's.

That said "powerjack" for GPUs looks fun too

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Shabby

 

[Fastx]

In India PJ = Poor Joke

That is funny and kind of fits this.

 

[Face2Face]

http://media.toolking.com/catalog/p...df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/u/suv_1.jpg

 

[AdamK47]

My HAF-X came with a GPU bracket for problems like this. I don't use it though.

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1311/7/

 

[Fastx]

http://media.toolking.com/catalog/p...df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/u/suv_1.jpg

lol, that was good I got a good laugh out of that one!

 

[lagokc]

If your video card is that heavy it might be time to lay your computer so the motherboard is horizontal and the slot/bracket doesn't have to support its entire weight.

Is this the reason that so many video cards are doubleslot even if their cooler isn't actually that large? So that there are 2 screws anchoring the beast down instead of 1?

 

[dkm777]

Yes, the Vapor-X is really heavy and it is really triple slot, it just has a double slot bracket, so just 2 screws holding it. Damn, now I really wish I would've gotten an Asus DCII instead with its triple slot bracket. I'll look into that PowerJack thingy, but I have a bad feeling it won't be available in Lithuania. But there's always eBay.

 

[lavaheadache]

you can attach 10 screws to the front of the card and it would still barely fix the actual problem. The card needs support going length wise. Backplates help with this and so do tension bars that go across the top. Heck, even my old XFX 7800 GTX has metal bar across the top to help give the card support.

This is the very reason why OEM's like Dell put "handles" on their cards. The handles lock into place and minimize stress which is very important to them since their pc's get shipped assembled

 

[Zxian]

Another option - slightly ghetto, but it works.

Get some twine (thin cord) or a re-usable zip-tie and use that to suspend the right-side of your card. You can lift the end of the video card where the PCIe plugs are connected. Find a spot at the top of your case where you can tie off the other end of the card.

Here are a few sample pictures, courtesy of a member at SPCR.

http://i55.tinypic.com/fk5r1f.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/34rbzhg.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/k2fql2.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/3038ohw.jpg

 

[Yuriman]

I've always used a Sharpie marker for propping up the ends of my cards. It's almost exactly the right height in my case.

 

[blastingcap]

You could use a pencil or two and use/grind/sharpen/whatever it down to the proper size and flatten out the nonrubber end of it and use that. Airflow obstruction, but whatever..