Asus comments on Q-Release Slim damaging GPUs, issues official removal guidelines

Asus has issued a statement after reports claimed that the recently launched Q-Release Slim release mechanism for graphics cards could scrape off the sides of the PCIe connector. The company advises users to follow the official removal guidelines and claims that the mechanism does not damage graphics cards unless they are removed and installed frequently. However, Asus’s wording implies that it is aware that in some cases sides of the PCIe connector can be scraped.

“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,” a statement by Asus reads. “However, 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.”

The Asus Q-Release Slim release mechanism for graphics cards — which is used on premium AMD and Intel 800-series motherboards — lets users eject their graphics cards by tilting the card while pulling it upward (or sideward) as the PCIe push-latch releases it automatically. While this sounds easy, in some cases tiny pieces of the PCIe connector can break off. Based on images published, this does not affect actual PCIe contacts, so this should not affect functionality or performance. However, PCB abraisions are never good.

Asus argues that if users follow its removal guidelines, connectors do not scrape. Still, it stresses that signs of usage and wear tend to appear after dozens of insertions and removals. In fact, it should be noted that like other board‐to‐board connectors, PCIe slots and corresponding card‐edge connectors are subject to a rated number of insertions/removals cycles (mating cycles). While the exact rating can vary by manufacturer and product series, the typical industry standard for PCIe x4/x8/16 connectors is around 50 mating cycles for standard slots and more for highly-durable slots.

We can assume that a particular slot configuration can minorly damage graphics cards’ PCIe connectors more than others. But after dozens of mating cycles, any card-edge connector will likely see visible wear or some kind.