Mounting your GPU vertically is the latest trend in PC building, but the implementations are often a little lacklustre -- either too close to the glass panel, too saggy, or not compatible with many cases. EKWB's latest vertical mount aims to fix these issues.
The bracket is called the 'EK-Loop Vertical GPU Holder - Shifted' and the GPU is shifted further inwards to the system for better cooling performance of air-cooled graphics cards. However, 'shifted', in this instance, means that the GPU is shifted inwards slightly towards the front of the case, making the bracket compatible with closed-back expansion slot cases.
But of course, EKWB is a watercooling company, so their primary interest is in that department. As such, the bracket bolts into the top of the motherboard standoffs, giving it plenty of structural rigidity to avoid a sagging GPU -- an important feature with vertical mounts for EKWB, as unstable GPUs can lead to issues with the tubing and fittings during transport.
EKWB says this bracket makes systems safe to transport with all the tubing and fitting bits installed, and while we will take their word on that, if you can drain systems with custom loops for long journeys, we always recommend you do and refill it at the destination.
However, in all the things this vertical mount bracket does right, there's one thing it doesn't do: PCIe 4.0 -- this bracket is only rated up to the PCIe 3.0 standard.
The bracket comes with all the mounting screws you need and an angled DisplayPort 1.4 cable.
Pricing is set at $75 with immediate availability. This makes it about $20 to $30 more expensive than many other brackets on the market, but given its strengths, we'd say it's not a crazy premium for a proper vertical GPU mount implementation.
