The Aorus team didn’t actually say that outright, at least not in so many words. But it did post a video on X showing a gorgeous white GeForce RTX graphics card being inserted and yanked out of an also-white motherboard 100 times without leaving so much as a faint scratch on the gold contact points. Take a look…
自信を持ってPC 組立を始めましょう！🚀
GIGABYTE の定評ある簡単 DIY かつ、超耐久性仕様により、スムーズで手間のかからない自作と、堅牢な信頼性をお楽しみいただけます。💪
金色ゴールデンフィンガー接点の剥がれや金属エッジによる傷を心配する必要はもうありません。🔥🔧 pic.twitter.com/ijWSdjxBYf
— AORUS (JP) (@AORUS_JP) March 10, 2025
“Start building your PC with confidence! Gigabyte’s renowned easy DIY and ultra-durable design allows you to enjoy a smooth, hassle-free build experience and rock-solid reliability. No more worrying about peeling golden finger contacts or scratches caused by metal edges,” Aorus Japan wrote (via Google Translate).
“ASUS recently introduced its button-less PCIe Q-Release Slim design to simplify the process of removing a graphics card. Unlike the previous generation of PCIe Q-Release, this design no longer requires a button to unlock the graphics card. To prevent the graphics card from accidentally sliding out, the new design includes a locking mechanism and metal reinforcement for added strength. The correct insertion and removal method is indicated in the user manual and select motherboard product packaging,” ASUS states in a long post.
It also posted a sketch of the proper way to remove a graphics card from its motherboards, which involves grabbing from the front of the card and pulling up and out. According to ASUS, “incorrect angle and excessive force” can result in scratches, but not enough to stop the card or motherboard from working properly.
“In our internal testing and evaluation of the extremely small number of cases reported we found no damage to the motherboard or graphics card that would affect functionality or performance. However, it is important to emphasize that any type of PCIe add-in card will exhibit signs of usage and wear marking after 60 continuous insertions and removals,” ASUS said.
To be fair, few people will ever install and remove a graphics card dozens of times. The number of times may rise with periodic deep cleanings, where one might be inclined to take out their graphics card and tidy up the fan blades from any dust (as well as other nooks and crannies). But 60 times or more? I’d wager a Tootsie Roll Pop that the vast majority of users never come close to that number.
It doesn’t matter, because it still gave Gigabyte ammunition to take a shot at its competitor while promoting its own release mechanism. The video includes close-up shots of the graphics card’s contact points before and after installing and ripping it out of the PCIe slot 100 times, without any apparent damages or even minor scratches. Well played, Gigabyte/Aorus.