Its pretty common today with 2 and 3 slot gigantic GPU coolers so heavy that the whole card sits croocked and over time some rip the PCIe connector from the board.
Indeed! Here's an example of what you are referring to:
The backplate should help, and indeed they help, BUT almost all the cases are thin sheet metal and the threads in card rack/holder wont take any torque, so the card sits there with a massive cooler and even more weight from the backplates not fastened to the case properly,
This is what I notice as well and why I posed the questions. Allow me to rephrase as a statement:
If the original and primary design, implementation and use of backplates was to keep the GPU from sagging, it seems that the goal was not achieved.
This is why I asked the questions as I did. I'm still unclear as to whether or not the initial implementation and primary goal of backplates was one of support.
I solved that in a couple friends desktops with some nice stainless M3 screws and nylon spacers, put two m3 screws in place of that crappy kinda self threading screw that the GPU's come bundled with and now the cards dont sag and there is no need to prop something inside the case to hold the back end of the GPU.
This sounds promising, but I'm not sure I understand fully. Are you talking about using m3 screws with nylon spacers to screw the GPU into the computer case's PCI expansion slots (see pic)?
Thanks for your thoughts and suggestion!