Subj : Better get a bracket: GPU sagging really does ruin your graphics
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri Apr 14 2023 21:45:04

Better get a bracket: GPU sagging really does ruin your graphics card

Date:
Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:30:00 +0000

Description:
An emerging concern for graphics cards is sagging, which can damage them over 
time and cause them to fail.

FULL STORY
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Graphics card sagging, while once a non-issue, has become a genuine threat to 
their lifespan, causing them to fail much sooner than normal. As cards become 
more powerful, they also become much larger and heavier in design, which 
means they tend to sag if not supported on both sides in the PC case. 

As German computer repair technician KrisFix explains (and reported on by 
Toms Hardware ) when a graphics card sags as a result of this increased 
weight, memory modules can lose connection with its associated solder points 
on the PCB. Theres also the issue of thermal variance, caused by the daily 
use of the card under sag conditions. 

According to KrisFix, This seems to be a major cause for why the Nvidia 
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, considered one of the best graphics cards ever (and 
still an excellent contender today), has been failing sooner than 
anticipated. 

And since the 2080 Ti, graphics cards have only become heavier, which puts 
the RTX 3000-series and especially the brick-like 4000-series at an even 
higher risk for failure later on in its life. What is being done about it? 

It seems that manufacturers are finally becoming more aware of the issues 
surrounding graphics cards sag, and more are coming up with a simple way to 
combat it: using some kind of support beam to keep the card level on the 
unsupported side. 

Some have those supports built-in the PC case like Cooler Masters support 
bracket , while others like the Manli Gallardo RTX 4090 graphics card itself 
are equipped with two spirit levels. And as the concept becomes more 
widespread, we should be seeing more of them cropping up and eventually 
becoming a standard in both PC cases and graphics cards. 

But what about the current users, the ones who already made their purchase 
years ago and could be facing imminent catastrophic GPU failure? You can have 
your PC modded by official or unofficial repair services to give it a bracket 
or level, but that could be quite expensive. 

Naturally, there are cheaper alternatives and guides on how to go about 
building them, everything from Lego blocks to hooking string around your GPU 
to stabilize it. So there is hope for you as long as too much damage hasnt 
already been done to your beloved graphics card just yet. Otherwise, you 
might have to invest in a brand new one, like the RTX 4070 that launched on 
April 13.



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/better-get-a-bracket-gpu-sagging-really-does-ru
in-your-graphics-card


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