Associate
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2017
- Posts
- 251
Greetings!
Built a new system with GTX1080 Armor from MSI, only to find that the card is sagging when installed. Google showed that this is a common issue.
Searched for solutions and only found few brackets available from America to support the GPU.
Didn't fancy spending 50$ for it not to fit...and making your own one is more fun, right?
The goal was to secure the GPU straight and to cover the wireless PCI-E Card I have installed, which wasn't complementing the whole clean, black build.
First things first, I need to secure the card straight, cause it drives me nuts having such expensive card sitting with a sag.
Ultimate fix:
Those Lint Rollers are multi purpose!
Took source random thick(ish) paper, measuring tape and got to business:
Draft is done, AutoCad is out for some real deal:
This would obviously be a GPU Support bracket only suitable for my case (P400) with my GPU and not a universal fit. On MSI Armor card, there is a slight "lip" just on the start of the fan surround which I was hoping will be perfect flat area to rest the card on the bracket.
Cutouts were for looks but also to allow for cable to go through.
After the flat form was sent away, it was a 2 day wait until it arrived from laser cutting:
I instantly realised the mistakes I made. The lettering was too close to the edge, making the "G" deform during bend and most importantly, I forgot to add a lip/bend on the bottom to strengthen the bracket...Because it's a 2mm Aluminium, it does bend if force is applied....but to be fair, in the end I needed that slight bend allowance to properly fit it under the card.
could have probably went with 2.7mm Aluminium instead but at the time, I though it would be too thick.
Fitted the bracket with a bit of fiddling onto two available slot screws on the back of case where you would screw your GPU in (without taking off the little shields, which was intentional during design not to leave a hole at the back) and here it is:
Because the card is "resting" on the bracket and the way it was bending the card easily popped off the bracket...Had to take it off and slightly bend it inwards by hand and refit. Now the card sits perfectly and without myself physically pulling it the card would not pop off.
Routed wires (they also held the bracket in place with a bit of pull to the inside), connected the card and here how it stands now:
Here it is, almost a finished little project!
Very happy with results, no more restricting air flow with Lint Roller and a nice addition to the case, of course with solving the issue of GPU sagging and hiding the boring Wireless Card.
Initially I was gonna paint it black but because the side window is slightly tinted on P400, it will be almost invisible in black. Even in raw aluminium it is not that noticeable through the side window, so now I have a dilemma which colour to paint it.
Either go black and distinguish it within the case or paint it white to go with the colour of fans and GPU cables.
Might install RGB/White light strips inside the case later on, so maybe going black ain't such a bad idea?
Would love to hear your opinion/ideas?
Thanks for reading
Built a new system with GTX1080 Armor from MSI, only to find that the card is sagging when installed. Google showed that this is a common issue.
Searched for solutions and only found few brackets available from America to support the GPU.
Didn't fancy spending 50$ for it not to fit...and making your own one is more fun, right?
The goal was to secure the GPU straight and to cover the wireless PCI-E Card I have installed, which wasn't complementing the whole clean, black build.
First things first, I need to secure the card straight, cause it drives me nuts having such expensive card sitting with a sag.
Ultimate fix:
Those Lint Rollers are multi purpose!
Took source random thick(ish) paper, measuring tape and got to business:
Draft is done, AutoCad is out for some real deal:
This would obviously be a GPU Support bracket only suitable for my case (P400) with my GPU and not a universal fit. On MSI Armor card, there is a slight "lip" just on the start of the fan surround which I was hoping will be perfect flat area to rest the card on the bracket.
Cutouts were for looks but also to allow for cable to go through.
After the flat form was sent away, it was a 2 day wait until it arrived from laser cutting:
I instantly realised the mistakes I made. The lettering was too close to the edge, making the "G" deform during bend and most importantly, I forgot to add a lip/bend on the bottom to strengthen the bracket...Because it's a 2mm Aluminium, it does bend if force is applied....but to be fair, in the end I needed that slight bend allowance to properly fit it under the card.
could have probably went with 2.7mm Aluminium instead but at the time, I though it would be too thick.
Fitted the bracket with a bit of fiddling onto two available slot screws on the back of case where you would screw your GPU in (without taking off the little shields, which was intentional during design not to leave a hole at the back) and here it is:
Because the card is "resting" on the bracket and the way it was bending the card easily popped off the bracket...Had to take it off and slightly bend it inwards by hand and refit. Now the card sits perfectly and without myself physically pulling it the card would not pop off.
Routed wires (they also held the bracket in place with a bit of pull to the inside), connected the card and here how it stands now:
Here it is, almost a finished little project!
Very happy with results, no more restricting air flow with Lint Roller and a nice addition to the case, of course with solving the issue of GPU sagging and hiding the boring Wireless Card.
Initially I was gonna paint it black but because the side window is slightly tinted on P400, it will be almost invisible in black. Even in raw aluminium it is not that noticeable through the side window, so now I have a dilemma which colour to paint it.
Either go black and distinguish it within the case or paint it white to go with the colour of fans and GPU cables.
Might install RGB/White light strips inside the case later on, so maybe going black ain't such a bad idea?
Would love to hear your opinion/ideas?
Thanks for reading
sorry mate