Question Unfamiliar with asus pci release mechanism, maybe broke it, card stuck?

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usr1235

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Aug 21, 2015
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On my ASUS 650E-E TUF gaming wifi motherboard the main pci slot doesn't have the usual release mechanism, it has a long piece of plastic with a more easily accessible lever (picture 1). The manual describes it as "Q Release." If you Google, q release is shown as a button, but I figured this was a cheaper variant. It is not the "q release slim" which dominates my Google searches.

I have a PNY 5070 Ti OC. I got it in with a nice decisive click, and then curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try the release mechanism. I pressed it down, it made a popping noise and stayed down, and the card didn't budge. I can't pull the card out (though I haven't really given it my all). Pushing the card down more firmly doesn't make the lever pop back up. (Picture 2)

I pushed it in firmly, screwed it in, and everything seems to be working fine.

Did I break the lever mechanism? If so, how do I get the card out later? Is there a release mechanism at the pci slot itself I can get to (it's hard to see from the picture how it works)?

If it's working is it ok to write it off as a problem for future me?

Picture 1, the release mechanism:
https://imgur.com/a/EjISJ34
View: https://imgur.com/a/EjISJ34
(the black plastic extending past the pci slot ending in the raised lever)

Picture 2, its current state:
https://imgur.com/a/XZM4mmr
View: https://imgur.com/a/XZM4mmr


Well it's not a great angle to see it, but the lever isn't up high anymore, it's down low so I can't really push it (it does have a few mm of travel but I think it's just the plastic flexing). When I first inserted the card it was up high until I pushed it.
 
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Lutfij said:
Well it's not a great angle to see it
You're right. We'll need more images at a different angle to tell you for certain.

Found this;
View: https://youtu.be/jna9s16lVNY?t=56

Moved thread from Graphics cards section to Motherboards section.
Click to expand...
RIght, that's the "q release slim" which is what you mostly find when you search for ASUS q release, but this isn't the slim. The online material for q release shows you this button method: https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1047530/

I don't have a button, I think the lever was the same idea. But in that link you can see the slot still has the traditional wing thing you can press to release, the main pci slot on this board doesn't, it looks like it's intertwined with the lever mechanism. (The other pci slot has the traditional release).

I'll try to get some better pictures.
 
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That retention mechanism pivots upward, when the GPU is properly aligned, to lock the GPU in place. If the lever is still down you either don't have that end of the GPU fully inserted or the mechanism may be damaged.

Another possibility is that the case mounting points are contributing to fitment issues, but that isn't likely assuming you mounted everything properly.
 
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Lutfij said:
I time stamped the video(at the 56sec mark), did you even click on it?
Click to expand...
Hah thanks! I hadn't but yes, it's reassuring to know I've interpreted its use correctly! But it does seem like I possibly broke it. The manual for the motherboard, both the included quick start guide and the online one, are useless, I've been piecing this together by searching.
 
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COLGeek said:
That retention mechanism pivots upward, when the GPU is properly aligned, to lock the GPU in place. If the lever is still down you either don't have that end of the GPU fully inserted or the mechanism may be damaged.

Another possibility is that the case mounting points are contributing to fitment issues, but that isn't likely assuming you mounted everything properly.
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same thing. I also noticed you're working with what looks like a case from the mid 2000's. What is the make and model of your case @usr1235 ?
 
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COLGeek said:
That retention mechanism pivots upward, when the GPU is properly aligned, to lock the GPU in place. If the lever is still down you either don't have that end of the GPU fully inserted or the mechanism may be damaged.

Another possibility is that the case mounting points are contributing to fitment issues, but that isn't likely assuming you mounted everything properly.
Click to expand...
Everything was right when I first put it in, and the lever was up. What happened is I pushed the lever and it's stayed down and the card isn't budging. I should have left it! I could try pulling harder... should it be pretty hard? And yes I had the screws undone at the time 😉 - I pulled like I'm used to having to pull, I had actually just pulled out an old video card (1000 series) off an old motherboard before doing this. Are these harder?

Here's another look at the lever in its current state (at the bottom, filmed like a low budget horror movie):
https://imgur.com/a/pHAAx9p
View: https://imgur.com/a/pHAAx9p


The pc posted but I haven't installed an os yet so I guess I won't know if it's ok until then?

Lutfij said:
I was thinking the same thing. I also noticed you're working with what looks like a case from the mid 2000's. What is the make and model of your case @usr1235 ?
Click to expand...
Good eye, haf 912, circa 2011 I think. It was a little fussy going in but I believe everything was right until I pushed the lever. I'm starting to think it's released and I just need to pull harder?
 
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You won't believe it (actually I bet you all will), with just a little confidence boost from this thread it actually came out very easily
I put it back in, it clicked, lever's up, all good!

Thanks everyone! It wasn't even that stuck! I feel dumb.
 
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