Is the plastic cover on my 7850 a necessity?

[kingneptune117]

Hey all,

So I opened up my computer today to discover the plastic guard/cover on my VisionTek (Terrible brand) 7850 dangling. The plastic standoffs that hold it on have snapped (possibly due to the engineers not considering the vibrations the computer causes?). Anyways, that plastic guard is off, and I am worried the card will not function correctly since I thought the purpose of the guard/cover was to properly direct air flow.

Should I get a new card so I don't risk damaging the rest of my computer, or will that not be an issue? Can I try supergluing the standoffs back on or does that run the risk of frying the card/my computer?

 

[Willdobbo]

I don't really think the cover is needed, Just keep an eye on your temps with a program like Gputemps, when you buy a graphics card from a retailer I don't think I have ever seen one come with a plastic airflow vent