Question What are these weird holes on my GPU

[Marlboro_lover]

I've noticed these holes on the rear part of my GPU, what are they for?

I assume they're for mounting support brackets but I can't find any actual mounts / supports that goes on them.

Would appreciate anything that can point me to the right direction.

 

[Eximo]

Such supports are usually custom made by an OEM. You see them in Acer and Dell and the like systems where they will make a metal bracket for securing the GPU for shipping.

Nothing stopping you from doing the same. Get some sheet metal and you can make a GPU support bracket pretty quickly with a drill, hammer, and a 90 corner to hammer on. Or a vise / break press if you have access to that.

 

[Colif]

oh, the side of the card...

I was looking at the back... where the processor bracket is.

So if that is back, the PCI brackets are the front? Nvm, most people think the fans are on front...

I will go now.

 

[Marlboro_lover]

Such supports are usually custom made by an OEM. You see them in Acer and Dell and the like systems where they will make a metal bracket for securing the GPU for shipping.

Nothing stopping you from doing the same. Get some sheet metal and you can make a GPU support bracket pretty quickly with a drill, hammer, and a 90 corner to hammer on. Or a vise / break press if you have access to that.

I've already done something similar but to be honest I would rather save time and buy a prefab one, I could design one but I can't find any dimension info on them either.

I've also never seen a 6800 with a bracket that uses these holes.

 

[Eximo]

That is the thing, there is no standard ATX chassis on that end of the card, so there is no off the shelf part. You just have some threaded holes, you then measure out to anything you want and bolt down to something.

I would make something stupidly simple and just drill into the 'basement' of whatever chassis I am using. Assuming you don't have bottom mounted fans or radiators. Don't really want to go to the front of the chassis because there are almost certainly fans there. Though that is what the typical OEM does. Either straight to the front or connect to something like the hard drive cage.

 

[hotaru.hino]

It doesn't make sense to drill four holes for a support bracket when at most two will do. And even then, I'm not aware of any support bracket that screws into the video card. Most of them either clamp down on the video card and offer support that way, or they'll screw into the chassis and offer a shelf of some sort.

It might've served some purpose at one point on the drawing board, but I think it's now vestigial. And it's not like drilling four extra holes would've cost them a whole lot and changing mechanical drawings is costly (even if it's just to remove four holes)

 

[stonecarver]

https://www.amazon.com/HP-NVIDIA-Quadro-Graphics-1ME40AT/dp/B071FNB47G

Showing how those holes were used for the Quadro cards with the support bracket.

You also needed a Dell or HP office server that had built into the PC case slits that the bracket rested or slid into to hold it.

 

[Colif]

they been on there for a few generations now
Reference 5700 had them.
link
its on Nvidia cards too
link

one person suggested its part of the pcie standard... I am curious if they on my card now...
possibly, I see 2 holes

been on there long time, at least 13 years.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/geforce-graphics-cards/5/123362/little-holes-on-the-ends-of-my-570s/

could be mainly for OEM retention systems. Its been a common theme throughout but I can't find actual proof.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I've noticed these holes on the rear part of my GPU, what are they for?
I assume they're for mounting support brackets but I can't find any actual mounts / supports that goes on them.

It's meant for this type gpu support bracket.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[Marlboro_lover]

It's meant for this type gpu support bracket.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Hmm, could be, but these doesn't utilize the holes on the GPU, just looks like a standard GPU support.

 

[Colif]

page 155 of this supposed to be evidence it was designed as a bracket hole but I don't see it... Can't say looking at technical diagrams is a hobby I have though

if you want to look yourself, search for page 175 as page numbers start after 20 pages of intro.
https://ics.uci.edu/~harris/ics216/pci/PCI_22.pdf
nothing says it is for them, people seem to have always assumed it was purpose.

found via: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...ounting-holes-standardized.13537/#post-201125

 

[hotaru.hino]

page 155 of this supposed to be evidence it was designed as a bracket hole but I don't see it... Can't say looking at technical diagrams is a hobby I have though

if you want to look yourself, search for page 175 as page numbers start after 20 pages of intro.
https://ics.uci.edu/~harris/ics216/pci/PCI_22.pdf
nothing says it is for them, people seem to have always assumed it was purpose.

found via: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...ounting-holes-standardized.13537/#post-201125

If you look a few pages down to 180, it shows that the two holes on the right side at the corners were meant to mount a "retainer" (although it's for ISA...). But that isn't evidence that the holes on video video card heat sinks are part of any standard.

 

[Colif]

nothing says it is for them, people seem to have always assumed it was purpose.

I saw the ISA thing but I also saw that was talking about the other end of the GPU. Where it attaches to back of case. I could be wrong about that though.