Asus found itself in a bit of hot water at the very start of the year, as some users accused its Q-Release PCIe slot of grinding GPU contact pins. Since then, Asus offered to cover any damage, but Gigabyte has seemingly taken the opportunity to brag about the fact that its release system doesn't do the same.
As spotted by VideoCardz, Aorus, Gigabyte's gaming brand, put out a post on X showing what happens when you install and remove a GPU 100 times. Without the context of this Asus debacle, one might assume this is simply a video to show off its PCIe release system, but in the wake of Asus' problems, this feels like a very tactical gloat.
The motherboard performing this test is the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice. Designed for Intel Arrow Lake rigs, this is a new motherboard at a good price point that is bested by its AMD counterparts.
Picking up a bit of free press on a recent scandal, Gigabyte's post links out to ways to buy both the motherboard and RTX 5070 Ti graphics card in its accompanying video.
Asus' PCIe Q-Release Slim quick-release latch requires users to lift up their graphics card from the left of the card first, causing the body of the card to push down a retainer clip that lets the whole thing come loose from a PCIe slot. The wear on GPU contact pins seems to come from the friction from tugging that card up and down.
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Gigabyte's video shows a latch with a button that unlatches the PCIe slot, save using a finger or screwdriver. Asus also uses this approach for some of its motherboards, though notably 'upgraded' to the Q-Release Slim for some models.
In response to the initial reports, Asus said:
"In our internal testing and evaluation of the extremely small number of cases reported, we found no damage to the motherboard or graphics card that would affect functionality and or performance".
Then, later, "It is important to emphasize that any type of PCIe add in card will exhibit signs of usage and wear marking after 60 continuous insertions and removals. Additionally, if the installation and removal are not performed according to the manufacturer's recommendations, the likelihood of scratches and or wear may increase."
Notably, most consumers won't trade out the graphics card in their rig more than 50 or 60 times before changing the motherboard (or the rest of the rig), but Gigabyte's motherboard is reportedly fine after 100 swaps.
Asus claims that reported wear does not have a negative impact on performance. However, buying a $2,000 card like an RTX 5090 and then promptly scratching it may impact not only the feeling of getting a brand new rig but also its resell value. With the current launch period and demand, though, you will likely be able to sell your RTX 50 series card for face value even if you write your name on it.
This small clip from Gigabyte does a pretty good job of marketing the long-term reliability of its new motherboard, even if it's at the expense of Asus' ego.
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