[SOLVED] GPU Backplate impeding PSU 6pin and 6+2pin cables

[yksi]

So I just leak tested my water cooled computer and all seems good, except for one thing.

I can't plug my PSU cables into the GPU... see this picture I took before filling:

The little clip on the cable gets impeded by the backplate. Now originally I thought perhaps I did something backwards, cause there's a cutout on the left front side of the backplate that seems perfect for this.

But the chirality of the GPU makes me think that there's simply no way to install anything differently than as was intended. I also checked videos of people installing blocks+backplates, and theirs all look exactly like mine. And it looks to me like the clip is meant to be on the bottom, in the block cutout, regardless.

Do I need to perhaps get a different PCI-e cable, one with the clip on the opposite side? Or can I simply cut that clip off? That really shouldn't be much of an issue in an undisturbed system, should it? The cable itself seems strange because on my GPU the 6 pin block is on the left, whereas if attempting to insert the cable in the correct orientation, the cable's 6 pin block is on the right. It's also labelled "VGA" rather than PCI-e... which I've googled and appears to be an EVGA quirk.

For reference I'm using a GIGABYTE RTX 2070 Windforce, with the EK-Vector RTX RE block and the EK-Vector RTX Backplate. My PSU is an EVGA Supernova 550 with its stock cables.

 

[Gam3r01]

Looking at your card the latches do seem to be on the opposite side from "normal", and changing PSU cables wouldnt have any impact on this.
You also want to use those latches, if the cable were to slip out it could short and damage the system, you never know.

You can contact EKWB directly and see what they have to say, but I would imagine your card simply is not compatible with their products due to this design.

You need to find a backplate with a cutout, or one thats offset enough to latch the connection.

 

[yksi]

Looking at your card the latches do seem to be on the opposite side from "normal", and changing PSU cables wouldnt have any impact on this.
You also want to use those latches, if the cable were to slip out it could short and damage the system, you never know.

You can contact EKWB directly and see what they have to say, but I would imagine your card simply is not compatible with their products due to this design.

Ah man I was hoping that wasn't the issue. I did send a message to EKJake on Reddit, their compatibility checker said both of these parts were compatible with the block but I guess not.

FWIW they do have other backplates with right side cutouts, but those don't match the screw pattern... hopefully if I complain enough they make a new backplate with the right side cutout

Maybe I can just make do without a backplate for a bit until I get a resolution. I know it has thermal pads on it but from what I've been reading a backplate generally makes a rather small temp difference...

I wonder if I could even just cut out space myself? Sure that likely ruins the aesthetic, but maybe it's an option...

 

[Gam3r01]

If you can find some sort of spaces it should work out alright, ASUS and Zotac do that with their plates (it seems)
https://assets.rockpapershotgun.com/images/2018/11/Nvidia-RTX-2070-power.jpg

 

[yksi]

It appears to me like they just mismatched the compatibility. But it also seems like I have a bunch of options to deal with this... turns out I saved the stock backplate and the only difference is it seems that has one fewer screw hole than the EK backplate (and I'm not even sure that screw did anything... I remember one not screwing in correctly). I totally forgot I saved that so I'll probably just put that back on.

I'm glad the backplate is the only issue - super easy to remove even after everything else is already in place! Thanks for the reassurance

 

[Gam3r01]

Not terribly familiar with EKWB's newer stuff, assuming the backplate is purely aesthetic (as in does not bolt through the card to the waterblock?)
If so, I dont see a problem using the stock one in the mean time (or forever).

 

[yksi]

I'll have to confirm when I try to remove the plate tomorrow, but from what I remember, yes, it uses very short hex screws into specific holes on the PCB that aren't shared with the block.

 

[Gam3r01]

Ah, so that should work out fine.
If that is the case, might want to contact EKWB and let them know that your model (with the upward facing latches) arent compatible.

 

[Eltomo]

I have the exact same issue but with a Gigabyte RTX 2070 Windforce, i'm just gonna cut the latches off and resort to either zipties or some other system