The ASUS Q-Release mechanism on Intel and AMD 800-series motherboards is causing noticeable damage to the PCIe interface of GPUs.
Several Users Reported Damage to Their GPU's PCIe Interface After Detaching GPUs with ASUS Q-Release Mechanism
ASUS's latest Q-Release Slim design isn't looking good since several reports have recently claimed that this mechanism has permanently damaged the graphics cards' PCBs. The Q-Release by ASUS is designed to detach the graphics card without having to manually push the switch at the end of the PCIe x16 slot. This mechanism is convenient and makes it easier to pull out big and heavier GPUs.
While it looks quite handy on paper, the consequences are severe. ASUS introduced the Q-Release on Intel and AMD 800-series motherboards, and while MSI has also introduced a similar design, complaints have piled up about the former. We have seen several users get physical damage to the PCIe connectors of their GPUs as a result of the Q-Release design.
As you can see, when the GPUs are pulled directly from one end, the GPU connector that goes into the PEG is damaged at the bottom. The ASUS Q-Release mechanism allows users to pull back the GPU by slightly tiling it on the other end and instantly releasing it from the PCIe x16 slot. Bilibili reports this damage to one of their users who used the RTX 4070 Ti Super HOF OC LAB on the ROG Strix B850-A Gaming Wi-Fi S.
Another user from Chiphell showed similar damage at the edge when the RX 7900 XTX was pulled out from ROG Crosshair X870E Hero. A third user had the same situation with his Intel DG1 graphics card when he pulled out the GPU from ROG Strix B850-A Gaming Wi-Fi S. Two more users saw damage to their GPU PCIe interfaces, as reported by IT Home.
HardwareLuxx's Editor, Andreas Schilling, has also had his new RTX 5090 graphics card damaged around the PCIe slot using an ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E Gaming motherboard.
I'm not happy with the solution either. We use the Strix X870E-E Gaming for testing the graphics cards. So I have had to remove graphics cards from the slot a few dozen times. This didn't always go smoothly and very often the card got stuck in the slot. First damage visible. https://t.co/CHVKFBrbY8 pic.twitter.com/1pEUXmQQES
— Andreas Schilling 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@aschilling) January 24, 2025
The problem seems to be shared as there are more such cases. This has already been reported to ASUS, and it has been announced that it is working on a way to fix this issue. However, we do not know if ASUS will take responsibility for such damage to the GPUs.
Suppose you own an ASUS 800 series motherboard equipped with a Q-Release mechanism. In that case, we advise you not to install and uninstall your GPU frequently to remain on the safe side and wait for ASUS's guidelines/announcement regarding this issue.
News Source: Uniko's Hardware
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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