GPU Sag – Should You Worry and How to Prevent It?
Extending the life of your PC should be a priority for most gamers since that simply means less spendings over time which results in higher possibilities for upgrades along the road.
To achieve this long-lasting PC life, you need to maximize case airflow, so your GPU and CPU could still perform according to specs even under stressful situations.
Another important aspect of maintaining your PC is making sure your hardware is not deteriorating because of outside factors. One of the most common issues related to this type of deterioration is GPU sag.
This issue is very common since nobody can fight against gravity and today we will give you some tips on how to prevent GPU sag or how to fix GPU sag if it is already occurring.
What Is GPU Sag?
In simple terms, sag occurs when your GPU has a massive cooling shroud and the case bracket simply cannot provide enough support for your device.
You can notice GPU sag pretty easily since it is visible to the naked eye. As mentioned previously this situation is pretty common since new generations of GPUs have considerably grown in terms of sizes – especially the cooling shrouds which are simply massive.
This is a necessary change so we can cool our components, but because of this massive weight, it is expected that the GPU will not receive proper support from the case bracket and the PCIe slot it is inserted in.
Should you worry about GPU sag then? GPU sag happens over long periods of time and usually, by the time it will actually cause some malfunction like destroying your PCIe slot you would have changed the motherboard or GPU already.
In case you are still worried about GPU sag and the long-term health of your PC you can relax because there are many easy ways to fix the issue so no sagging occurs at all.
How to Prevent GPU Sag?
There are a couple of tips on how to prevent GPU sag (or how to fix it) we want to talk about today.
The easiest and cheapest method to prevent GPU sag is to use your power cables that are routed to your GPU as extra support. This is the cheapest and easiest method but depends on the type of case and cable routing you are using.
The main point of this fix is to bind the power cables in the back of your case so they offer relief to the front of the GPU (where it usually sags). If you have no way to bind your GPU power cables, or you routed your GPU power cables from underneath the GPU then this method is useless.
The next easy way that is pretty cheap and quite popular is to prop up your GPU in the front using some sort of toy so there is enough support for your heavy GPU.
Image Source: Imgur
This fix is preferred by many because not only does it fix the GPU sag issue, but also gives you the chance to further customize your build innovatively.
The main reason for using some sort of figurine though is obviously because these items are widely available in most households and are pretty cheap to obtain.
The last option you have is to procure a GPU sag bracket that will hold up your GPU and offer it that extra relief it needs. This can be the most expensive option since good GPU sag brackets can cost quite a bit.
At the same time if you just buy a cheaper GPU sag bracket you might achieve the same results, but it is noted that in time these extra brackets tend to sag as well.
From these options, we think the figurine solution is the best since it gives you a lot of creative freedom and achieves very good results in terms of eliminating GPU sag. You can however do whatever feels the best for your situation as long as GPU sag is eliminated.
That is all for today’s topic – take care of your PCs gamers!