Graphics cards are becoming ludicrously bigger and bigger each year — and it’s not just them. CPU coolers and other components are also becoming beefier, making it challenging to replace other smaller parts like an M.2 SSD.
Thankfully, we have ASUS and MSI to the rescue by building new motherboards equipped with quick-release mechanisms, which they showcased at Gamescom 2024 in Germany.
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The new ASUS ROG X870E comes with two new quality-of-life improvements. There’s the “PCIe Q Release Slim” that’s a quick-release mechanism for the graphics card. There’s another mechanism meant for the M.2 slot. ASUS first introduced a similar tech in 2021.
This new design will instantly eject the GPU when pulled outward, no need to reach in and pull a lever which can be extra challenging if you have a large graphics card or a complicated cooling system around it.
Meanwhile, MSI’s tech is branded as the “EZ PCIe Release”, which is present on the upcoming Z890 MPG Edge motherboards meant for the Intel Arrow-Lake S series CPUs. Unlike ASUS’s design, this one places the switch above the graphics card, close the the DIMM slot.
It’s not as convenient as ASUS’s, but still better than the current standard. MSI also showcased in Gamescom 2024 how easily builders can remove and insert a drive on the M.2 slot.