Is it easy to damage a PCI-e motherboard slot ?

[matpc]

Hello

I was trying to fit the gpu properly to align back in the case ( for the case to not obstruct hdmi / dp ports ) and left the gpu in the motherboard only with the pci-e click ( no screws in the back )

I was trying to adjust the better angle then i´ve properly screwed later on

I´m wondering , could this somehow damage gpu / pci-e slot ?

I wasn´t that long but i remember i had i dinner and i left hanging then when i came back i´ve properly screwed

Could gpu pins and or pci-e slot work intermittently ? everything is working so far ( also tried in the gpu-z and it is showing all lanes properly (x16)) but i´m afraid it did some damage maybe ?

my mobo is a msi mpg b550 gaming plus and the gpu is a rtx 4070 windforce

thanks

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Should be ok imo

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

It is easy to damage the slot/card? Yes. Did you? Doesn't sound like it. Most likely, physical damage to the slot or card would rear its ugly head very quickly.

 

[64K]

I doubt that would cause problems but it is possible to damage a slot. I recall years ago someone posted here that they couldn't remove their card even with the lock clip released and in a frustrated rage went caveman on it and ripped the slot partially loose from the mobo and wanted to know if it could be repaired but what you did probably didn't damage anything.

 

[matpc]

i basically left it hanging for a while ( without screwing the gpu in the case )

i know it wasn´t that smart of my part but i briefly had a dinner then came back

only the pci-e clip was holding the gpu

it is working right now , is it possible to work intermittently or cause issues maybe ? i´ve checked the gpu z info and it shows x16 lanes

thanks

 

[64K]

i basically left it hanging for a while ( without screwing the gpu in the case )

i know it wasn´t that smart of my part but i briefly had a dinner then came back

only the pci-e clip was holding the gpu

it is working right now , is it possible to work intermittently or cause issues maybe ? i´ve checked the gpu z info and it shows x16 lanes

thanks

I don't think you will have any problems but if you do then come back to this thread and post what's going on. I wouldn't worry about what could happen. No point in that. Just keep an eye on it from time to time.

 

[Zach_01]

Your board is this?



As you can see the first PCI-E slot has a metallic shroud (attached deep into the board) designed exactly for that kind of stress load you described doing.
If you're repeatedly doing that, like many times and for long, then it might get some damage but for once and for a few minutes I bet nothing happened.

Next time if you want to adjust your GPU cables just put the screw on to support the weight but dont tight it all the way so the card can move a bit.
And please dont leave anything hanging like that when going for lunch/dinner or whatever. Put the darn screw without tighten it just to take the weight. Its 5sec.
There are a couple of reasons why some cards have added weight support to the opposite side. One of them is slot stress.

 

[matpc]

Your board is this?

View attachment 363666

As you can see the first PCI-E slot has a metallic shroud (attached deep into the board) designed exactly for that kind of stress load you described doing.
If you're repeatedly doing that, like many times and for long, then it might get some damage but for once and for a few minutes I bet nothing happened.

Next time if you want to adjust your GPU cables just put the screw on to support the weight but dont tight it all the way so the card can move a bit.
And please dont leave anything hanging like that when going for lunch/dinner or whatever. Put the darn screw without tighten it just to take the weight. Its 5sec.
There are a couple of reasons why some cards have added weight support to the opposite side. One of them is slot stress.

yeah mine is something like it ( msi mpg b550 gaming plus )

it has the steel armor msi pci-e feature

I´ve checked all pci-e pins and they´re all fine

 

[chrcoluk]

Reinforced slot, I would say more likely card will suffer than the board.

 

[matpc]

i know it is hard to say but they are both working right now and showing x16 lanes

i´m wondering if damage could occur later on

can pci-e slot or gpu lanes work intermittently or they will just work or won´t?

thanks

 

[eidairaman1]

Stop repeating yourself, you are over thinking.

i basically left it hanging for a while ( without screwing the gpu in the case )

i know it wasn´t that smart of my part but i briefly had a dinner then came back

only the pci-e clip was holding the gpu

it is working right now , is it possible to work intermittently or cause issues maybe ? i´ve checked the gpu z info and it shows x16 lanes

thanks

Yes it's possible to damage a pc if you are rough with it, you are lucky it wasn't damaged in this instance, now prolonged use under a preload like that could eventually do it.

Just don't do it again.

 

[matpc]

on a side note , should i use 1 or 3 screws to seat the gpu ? like i said before , 1 is easier to adjust the ports in the case but i´m wondering if 1 screw may sag over time instead of 3

thanks

 

[Ruru]

on a side note , should i use 1 or 3 screws to seat the gpu ? like i said before , 1 is easier to adjust the ports in the case but i´m wondering if 1 screw may sag over time instead of 3

thanks

If it's a 3-slot card, then of course 3.

 

[redeye]

If it's a 3-slot card, then of course 3.

1 is fine, if you have a “tripod” holding up the back end of the GPU…

 

[Ruru]

1 is fine, if you have a “tripod” holding up the back end of the GPU…

I don't see a reason for not using all the screws, screwing one in takes ~5 seconds.

 

[matpc]

not because of time , just because 1 in the middle is easier to adjust the dp/hdmi ports on the case

GeForce RTX™ 4070 EAGLE OC 12G Características | Placas de Vídeo - GIGABYTE Brazil

Descubra as placas de Vídeo AORUS topo de linha, com refrigeração WINDFORCE, iluminação RGB, proteção PCB, e características que facilitam o VR para o melho...

www.gigabyte.com

this is my gpu

 

[DaemonForce]

It should NOT be so easy, this isn't 2004 anymore. Still, when you go from a smol to a triple slot chonker...

Yeah you might want to put a bracer on the back side.
If your PCI-E slot doesn't have that steel reinforcement along the edges of the slot, it's prone to warp and shatter.
An entire laundry list of complications can happen otherwise. Even this example has problems (mostly basic function).
Avoid physically stressing the slot if it can be helped.

 

[bug]

i basically left it hanging for a while ( without screwing the gpu in the case )

i know it wasn´t that smart of my part but i briefly had a dinner then came back

only the pci-e clip was holding the gpu

it is working right now , is it possible to work intermittently or cause issues maybe ? i´ve checked the gpu z info and it shows x16 lanes

thanks

I ran one of my video cards for years (instead of screws, the case had some clip-in mechanism that didn't fit the card) and it worked just fine. It wasn't a monster of a card, just your average two-slot design.

 

[Gigaherz]

i basically left it hanging for a while ( without screwing the gpu in the case )

i know it wasn´t that smart of my part but i briefly had a dinner then came back

Chill, I do this all the time because I cant be bothered to find my screws. This includes wonky riser installations etc. As long as the Pcie Lanes arent scratched theres nothing wrong with that.
The Windforce is not particulary heavy anyways.

 

[matpc]

Chill, I do this all the time because I cant be bothered to find my screws. This includes wonky riser installations etc. As long as the Pcie Lanes arent scratched theres nothing wrong with that.
The Windforce is not particulary heavy anyways.

ah nice to hear

 

[eidairaman1]

on a side note , should i use 1 or 3 screws to seat the gpu ? like i said before , 1 is easier to adjust the ports in the case but i´m wondering if 1 screw may sag over time instead of 3

thanks

It has provisions for 3, use 3, make sure the top edge and lower edge of motherboard are parallel with the top and bottom of case, which should in turn make the back edge of motherboard parallel with the back of the case.

Make sure gpu is parallel in the slot -no upward or downward tilt of gpu which could in long run cause damage to motherboard and gpu due to improper contact of pcie contacts.