Next-generation motherboards will make swapping SSDs and GPUs easier

In a nutshell: Removing a GPU can be one of the most stressful parts of customizing a PC because other components often obscure the release hatch. Motherboard manufacturers recently explored ways to simplify the procedure, and exhibits at Gamescom 2024 reveal that they are still refining new methods.

Motherboard vendors, including Asus and MSI, have begun advertising new mechanisms to help users install and remove PCIe components more quickly and safely. The quality-of-life improvements are small bonuses accompanying significant new features for upcoming motherboards designed for AMD Ryzen 9000 and Intel Core Ultra 200 processors.

Removing a graphics card usually involves pressing a release hatch at the end of the PCIe slot. However, the hatch is often challenging to get to as you need to reach underneath the GPU, especially when removing larger cards. Installing and removing M.2 SSDs can also be a bear because on many boards it requires using screws.

MSI showcased new methods for handling the two parts at its Gamescom 2024 booth using an upcoming Intel 800 series motherboard, which will support Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200 CPUs. Inserting and removing the SSD now only requires pressing a lock button at the rear of the drive. The company also positioned a new GPU slot release button on the side for easy access. An indicator next to the button shows whether it is in the locked or unlocked position. Users must press the button once before installing the GPU, and once again before pulling it out.

The new MSI system resembles one Asus introduced in its Z690 motherboards in 2021. However, Asus has moved on from that design, as YouTuber “der8auer” (Der Bauer) explained when demonstrating the company’s recently unveiled X870 boards for AMD’s Zen 5 Ryzen 9000 processors.

With the new mechanism, called Q-release, users simply slot the GPU onto the motherboard, but it will only come loose if pulled from the rear. Asus also revised its M.2 connector, introducing a release hatch and an adjustable slider to accommodate SSDs of different sizes.

According to the latest information, X870 and X870E motherboards are expected to begin shipping in October. Spec sheets for Asus and Gigabyte models are now available. Meanwhile, cheaper B850 and B840 boards might not arrive until CES 2025. Intel is set to fully reveal its Z890 motherboards alongside Arrow Lake later this year, but information regarding lower 800 series tiers remains unavailable.