ASUS upgrades its PCI-E Quick Release mechanism on the existing 800-series motherboards as spotted on the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex.
The Culprit of Chipping and Scratching the PCI-E Interface on GPUs Removed from ASUS 800 Series Motherboards
ASUS took roughly a month to finally fix one of its critical flaws in its Quick Release design, made for quickly releasing the GPUs from its motherboards. ASUS introduced the Q-Release with its 800 series motherboards for AMD and Intel's latest processor families and doesn't require users to push the button at the end of the PCI-E x16 slot to unlock the GPU.
While it offered a quick way of installing/uninstalling the GPUs, it backfired due to damaging the PCI-E interface on the GPUs. There were multiple reports where we saw chipping of the slots from one corner. While ASUS denied that such a thing could happen with its Q-Release mechanism, this was still commonly observed by ASUS 800 series motherboard owners. Nonetheless, ASUS did upgrade the Q-Release mechanism but 'silently'.
The update was reported by @UnikosHardware who spotted Newegg's listing of the ASUS ORG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard, which is missing the metal part inside the PCI-E x16 slot. If you pay close attention to the smaller segment, the one that is responsible for power delivery, the Q-Release-based motherboards have a small metal piece, making the divider slightly thick.
On the upgraded motherboard (X870E Hero in this case), the metal part is totally absent. However, the Q-Release mechanism still exists on the motherboard. ASUS might have found this particular metal piece to be the culprit for chipping or scratching the PCI-E connection on the GPUs and therefore, removed it.
Even though ASUS claimed that such scratches or damages wouldn't affect the GPU operation or their performance, it was still bothering. ASUS initially claimed that they didn't find any such damage in their internal testing and that the Q-Release mechanism can only cause some wear and tear after 60 uses. However, as there were multiple such reports, it announced that it would compensate for the GPU and motherboard damage.
We are yet to see these upgraded motherboards get into the hands of users, which will eventually confirm the report. Hopefully, the new design fixes the problem, but at the same time, it's advised to follow the Q-Release guidelines explained by ASUS itself.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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