   Sawing pieces off a graphics card...
  I have a DELL workstation which is pretty narrow - the AGP slot requires a video card with a much shorter metal back-plate (low profile card).It's pretty difficult to find cards that meet this requirement especially since I've also discovered that a 'low profile' card doesn't have to have the smaller back-plate!I'm considering chopping off part of the back-plate from an older card to see if this is feasible, and thought it's the kind of thing GameDev members would like to laugh at. Especially since currently the bests tool I have for the job are a Black&Decker workmate and a junior hack-saw [smile].My wife's away this weekend so maybe I'll try it then...   
  Low profile cards should come with a swappable backplate if you bought the low-profile version (my Audigy does). I personally don't see much wrong with cutting the backplate down carefully and bending it to make it shorter (as long as the card is low-profile enough to fit!) as long as you keep yourself grounded and do it very carefully.   ;  Swappable backplate? I never knew they were made removable!   ;  There should be two screws in the back of the plate so that you can switch between  the two heights.   ;  Would this be true on all cards? I wonder what happens if you take the back-plate off altogether - AGP sockets are quite snug so once the monitor was plugged in it would probably be OK....!   ;Quote:Original post by d000hgWould this be true on all cards? I wonder what happens if you take the back-plate off altogether - AGP sockets are quite snug so once the monitor was plugged in it would probably be OK....!I've run machines like this - the cards pop out all the time. Not good.   ;  I wouldn't recommend using a graphics card without the backplate. The heatsinks tend to be somewhat heavy so if you manage to accelerate the machine, the card might slip rather easily and cause teh funnay sparks.   ;  I see nothing wrong with it.  Cut that sucker off.   ;  Remember! metal filings+place to get stuck between 2 lines = 'funny' things happening.Could also cause "magic Smoke".enhaling "magic Smoke" is not a good thing.   ;  /me loves magic smoke...   