GPU Backplates?

[Fricey]

What is the point of a GPU backplate? Does it lower temperatures or something because it just looks its for looks.

[W-L]

What is the point of a GPU backplate? Does it lower temperatures or something because it just looks its for looks.

Mostly for looks, some do have TIM to chips on the back to help cooling a little, and on the less extent for stiffening the PCB and preventing heavy cards from sagging.

[Glenwing]

Most for looks, although for large cards it can help keep the PCB from bending from the weight. It can also help a little with cooling, especially if the card has VRAM chips on the back.

[TheAmazingCookieFromSquare]

Looks pure looks brother pure looks

[Mick Naughty]

Cools the vrm if you have any on the back of the card. Only for looks if you have a sub par card.

[Chiobe]

For water cooling builds, so does it help protect your card against leaks, as the backplate gets hit and not the card (vertical motherboard).

[Yakusoku]

Just got a Reference 980Ti. Would having a back plate benefit it from not sagging?

[Mick Naughty]

Just got a Reference 980Ti. Would having a back plate benefit it from not sagging?

Reference card shouldn't be sagging in the first place. 

[Yakusoku]

Reference card shouldn't be sagging in the first place. 

 

Oh, so the only benefit is asthetics?

[Mick Naughty]

Oh, so the only benefit is asthetics?

Like I said, it can help cool the vram on the back of the card if you have any. If it has the titan style blower on it its not the card that's sagging. For a 980ti with vram on the back it can help cool as they have nothing helping them like the vram on the top. I put copper heat sinks on mine but it isn't the best looking.

[othertomperson]

Purely aesthetic. People have this random vitriol about seeing black circuit boards so demand it be covered in a lump of aluminium.