Asus has finally acknowledged it's changed the Q-Release Slim mechanism, bringing the whole saga to a satisfying conclusion

You can all sleep well in your beds tonight.

We can all go home folks. The saga of Asus’ Q-Release Slim system has finally reached its conclusion, as the company has released a statement confirming design changes to reduce the risk of damaging graphics cards.

As reported by Videocardz, the Asus statement reads: “Yes, a change has been made to the Q-Release Slim system for new X870 motherboards. We have modified the PCIe slot for the Q-Release Slim system based on user feedback.

“A metal component has been removed to reduce the risk of damaging the video card. Additionally, stickers have been added to the system to inform users about the correct use of the system.”

Time for a quick catchup for those of you not paying attention: Asus’ Q-Release Slim system was accused of grinding GPU contact pins over multiple reinsertions, which would be a very bad thing indeed. The company then released a statement to Wccftech saying that its own testing showed “no damage to the motherboard or graphics card that would affect functionality and or performance.”

Despite this, a revised socket design showed up in new product photos of an Asus ROG Apex X870E motherboard, and Asus China’s customer support was spotted offering motherboard replacements for owners of motherboards equipped with PCIe Q-Release Slim slots.

A side by side comparison of two Asus Q-Release systems, with the original design on the top and the bottom showing the apparently new design. — (Image credit: Asus)

Oh, and Gigabyte released a video of its own PCIe slot being used many, many times without issue. Possibly innocently, although the timing was suspect to say the least.

Anyway, it seems Asus has officially bitten the bullet and changed the design, even if its own testing showed no issues. Plus, who doesn’t love an extra sticker?

I’d imagine, given the coverage of this potential issue from many outlets, it would probably be a good idea to update the slot even if the issue wasn’t repeatable in its testing facilities. Good PR, and all that, but it looks like we can finally put the issue to bed.

Sleep safe, PC Gamers. Asus’ slot woes appear to be over, and we can all be thankful for that.