This is probably a stupid question but I can't find an answer elsewhere.
Both the Classified and the Kingpin have back plates. Other board makers are doing the same.
I have never had one on a motherboard before.
 
Why does a motherboard have a full back plate?
 
Also, do I need longer standoffs for the motherboard tray to keep from damaging the motherboard?
This I assume to be a NO. Otherwise the i/o bracket would not mate properly with the case.

frankd3
This is probably a stupid question but I can't find an answer elsewhere.
Both the Classified and the Kingpin have back plates. Other board makers are doing the same.
I have never had one on a motherboard before.
 
Why does a motherboard have a full back plate?
 
Also, do I need longer standoffs for the motherboard tray to keep from damaging the motherboard?
This I assume to be a NO. Otherwise the i/o bracket would not mate properly with the case.

There are no stupid questions in this, a decent Forum, anyway, Reddit, not so much. The back plate protects the MB, and also serves as part of the cooling features of the MB, to dissipate heat, as far as standoffs, that depends on your case. Me I build custom standoffs for my case, it is older you can see it in my signature, the idea is to protect the MB, and match up the back I/O port. Oddly my case is 6 years old and fits my Classified perfectly, (just bought the DARK Z690 Kingpin, putting it in this weekend), it is the exact same size. I tried a newer case, no way it would work, standoffs were to short. I use phenolic insulating washers, and hardened nylon washers to raise the MB from the I/O port to the opposite end, a gradual left to right lifting that keeps the board perfectly aligned/straight. Takes a little trial/testing to make sure it is right. Fully protects the MB, and the metal backplate. My case originally had a center aligning pin, I broke it off, made a standoff for it also. 9 screws hold MB in place. Zero contact with the case. And what else what just said above me too. Heat from the CPU and a heavy GPU can both warp the MB itself. Saw a You Tube video, of the Z690 Classified, with the backplate removed, it ran cooler with it on. In a open setting.

i think they look nice, and sure they help with keeping the pcb from flexing (evga boards are on the higher end when it comes to strength due to the high pcb layer count)
 
but i can't use the board for xoc with most of the creature comforts installed, so in the box they sit. no backplate armor, no vrm heatsinks, none of it. with just a normal backplate and socket heater it works fine, but once you add a ram pot for liquid nitrogen and use a larger socket heater to cover the bottom of the dimms (elmor hot300) it no longer works. backplate armor comes off.
 
want to run x16 gpu on LN2? the mounting posts for the gpu pot collide with the vrm heatsink, so this needs to come off as well. fortunately, even on LN2 the 12th gen vrm doesn't get that hot even up above 7ghz. so this is not a huge issue so long as you aim some fans at the board.
 
i realize this is a niche case but thought i'd add it here since these features are nice for the average user, but aren't that well suited for what in reality is a board made for extreme overclocking (z690 dark kingpin).
 
 

I measured my spare Corsair 5000D standoffs and there will be 0.75mm - 1mm clearance between the back plate and the motherboard tray.
The variation was due to how hard I push the calipers on the protective film (which I'm leaving in place until I start building) and minute differences in the back plate clearances for the different mounting holes.
Those standoffs are the same length as those from an old Corsair case I had so it might be a standard size. 6.5mm long or 0.26 inches.
 
So I guess it has all been figured out to work well.
So yeah, I worried for nothing
 
I have to admit that I like the idea of improving the structural integrity.

Cool GTX
take some photos along the build & make a MODS RIGS thread
 
use a photo hosting site to post pictures & "copy image link" to insert photos

This will be my first attempt at a custom loop. It might be entertaining to watch
I noticed that people on Mods Rigs can be very nice and helpful.

Cool GTX
 

One more reply. Thank you!
Now that is funny. It took me a lot of research and video watching to learn what you put in this one post. Should have talked to you before!
Already planning on all of what you mentioned especially the EK Leak Tester and a drain port.
Thank you very much for the link. Bookmarked. Just skimming it I saw info what I thought was recent knowledge but it's been available for years!
Good stuff.

Have to say that I'm not happy with the backplate either, mine had to go straight back to the box/bin...the Dark wouldn't fit either the Fractal 7XL or the LL O11D XL.
Also not really fond of the rotated socket - in the Fractal 7 XL and using Arctic LF II AIO the backplate of the cooler pushes against the back of the case, bending it slightly because the socket isn't in the usual place and so the backplate cutoff doesn't match.

austin86
Because it cost little to add and motherboard makers know they can charge a lot for it.
Partial back plates used to be a thing, they were sold as making a board stronger and cooler. They did nether.
The only real benefit aside form the boards having more scrap value to a scrapper is they protect the PCB from scuffs. 

That is not true, the full metal back plate does give the PCB extra support where it is needed for the larger heavier GPUs nowadays. EVGA MBs, have the metal backplate attached at several points where the weight of the CPU, its water cooler, and for a larger more importantly GPU like mine, all help from the MB suffering, being susceptible to/from the additional weight and heat, warping etc. Also all, I have never seen it mentioned, the metal backplate is part of the VRM cooling, by attachment for the direct transfer of heat. As far as the cases issue, the makers did not see this all coming, and they admit it, but oddly enough, here we are. Look my case up, it is an older Corsair, I build special stand offs for it, but it works perfectly for my case, and EVGA's design of their MBs. And with the heavier GPU 40 series coming out I have been waiting for a PCB to me made that is at least 3/16" or 1/4" thick with a metal back plate. Which would also mean a different/deeper threaded CPU bracket for a cooler. The upcoming 40 series GPUs are going to need a heftier PCB to handle the weight. Like using high grade Phenolics, in the center of a PCB, which is entirely feasible.

Stardust_One

jdec112016w
That is not true, the full metal back plate does give the PCB extra support where it is needed for the larger heavier GPUs nowadays. EVGA MBs, have the metal backplate attached at several points where the weight of the CPU, its water cooler, and for a larger more importantly GPU like mine, all help from the MB suffering, being susceptible to/from the additional weight and heat, warping etc. Also all, I have never seen it mentioned, the metal backplate is part of the VRM cooling, by attachment for the direct transfer of heat. As far as the cases issue, the makers did not see this all coming, and they admit it, but oddly enough, here we are. Look my case up, it is an older Corsair, I build special stand offs for it, but it works perfectly for my case, and EVGA's design of their MBs. And with the heavier GPU 40 series coming out I have been waiting for a PCB to me made that is at least 3/16" or 1/4" thick with a metal back plate. Which would also mean a different/deeper threaded CPU bracket for a cooler. The upcoming 40 series GPUs are going to need a heftier PCB to handle the weight. Like using high grade Phenolics, in the center of a PCB, which is entirely feasible.

What exactly was the "problem" with the stand offs and the Vengeance? I'm asking because I have a 900D.
 
Edit: I compared it, looks like I have space of 2 - 3mm between the surface of the stand offs and the Z690 Class.

My Corsair Vengeance C70 case was in fact built as a extended ATX before the new MBs came out with a metal back plate, there is plenty of room for my metal back plate, (normal size MB), except at the opposite end of the IO on the PCB, the indentation does not extend far enough for the PCB with the metal back plate to clear the case itself, so if I tried to just install the screws, the PCB would not be in full flush contact with the standoffs. So what I do is use/make custom offsets, as in I first broke off my centering pin for the MB and installed a custom cut threaded offset instead, then I use high grade Phenolic washers between the offsets and the MB, thinner ones on the 3 center MB screw points (up to down), and thicker ones on the 3 screws at the opposite end of the IO plate/ports. So I get a gradual rising but perfectly straight, left to right alignment of the MB from the IO to the opposite end of the MB with the PCB firmly attached to each offset with zero air gap between the offsets and MB. This creates at the opposite end of the IO a 1/16" (air gap), space between the metal back plate and my case, with 100% contact at each of the 9 screws holding the MB, as I said keeping the MB perfectly straight from left to right and up to down. The back IO opening is a perfect fit, and all this has no affect with my GPU fitting properly, at the support edge at the back of the case for the end bracket of my GPU.

Stardust_One

jdec112016w

Stardust_One
What exactly was the "problem" with the stand offs and the Vengeance? I'm asking because I have a 900D.
 
Edit: I compared it, looks like I have space of 2 - 3mm between the surface of the stand offs and the Z690 Class.

My Corsair Vengeance C70 case was in fact built as a extended ATX before the new MBs came out with a metal back plate, there is plenty of room for my metal back plate, (normal size MB), except at the opposite end of the IO on the PCB, the indentation does not extend far enough for the PCB with the metal back plate to clear the case itself, so if I tried to just install the screws, the PCB would not be in full flush contact with the standoffs. So what I do is use/make custom offsets, as in I first broke off my centering pin for the MB and installed a custom cut threaded offset instead, then I use high grade Phenolic washers between the offsets and the MB, thinner ones on the 3 center MB screw points (up to down), and thicker ones on the 3 screws at the opposite end of the IO plate/ports. So I get a gradual rising but perfectly straight, left to right alignment of the MB from the IO to the opposite end of the MB with the PCB firmly attached to each offset with zero air gap between the offsets and MB. This creates at the opposite end of the IO a 1/16" (air gap), space between the metal back plate and my case, with 100% contact at each of the 9 screws holding the MB, as I said keeping the MB perfectly straight from left to right and up to down. The back IO opening is a perfect fit, and all this has no affect with my GPU fitting properly, at the support edge at the back of the case for the end bracket of my GPU.

Thank you very much for your explanation! I have to try... this will be interesting.

; )
 

You can also use high grade hard nylon washers, not the type that will melt with heat. Lay the case on its back, on a hard surface with a towel on it, to protect the case and the surface where you have it laying. Just lay the MB in the case, everything out of the way, IO in place, start at the opposite end, see how much you need to raise it to get the metal plate off the case. When you have that it will take a little experimenting and a small mirror can be helpful as well for the center of the MB. The top end middle is easy to see with a small dental type mirror, the other 2 middle offsets will need the exact same height. The trick is after you have the correct size washers in how do you get them to stay in place. Take cotton QTips, cut the heads off each end, set them through the screw holes, then cut them so about 3/4" sticks out from the standoff, put the washers on the now cut QTips, they are now cotton stems, line the MB up on the stems, like each stem acts like a center pin, zero damage this way. Pull out each stem, 1 at a time starting with the opposite end of the back IO, pull each stem out with a pair of hemostats, insert each screw just enough you know it's in and the washer(s) stays in place. You will also have to buy longer screws that you can obtain just about anywhere, 1/2" will do, maybe buy 3/8" long also just in case screws are cheap, make sure the threads are deep enough by hand screwing each new screw into the standoff itself, see where it bottoms out, before you even try the MB in the case. So you know what length of screw will work. My first time took a while, but I just did all the figuring it out for you. I can take out my Z690 Dark Kingpin and install my Z690 Classified in about 45 minutes. You will end up with a zero damaged MB, fully insulated from grounding out anything on the MB. Love a case, make it work.

Stardust_One

jdec112016w
You can also use high grade hard nylon washers, not the type that will melt with heat. Lay the case on its back, on a hard surface with a towel on it, to protect the case and the surface where you have it laying. Just lay the MB in the case, everything out of the way, IO in place, start at the opposite end, see how much you need to raise it to get the metal plate off the case. When you have that it will take a little experimenting and a small mirror can be helpful as well for the center of the MB. The top end middle is easy to see with a small dental type mirror, the other 2 middle offsets will need the exact same height. The trick is after you have the correct size washers in how do you get them to stay in place. Take cotton QTips, cut the heads off each end, set them through the screw holes, then cut them so about 3/4" sticks out from the standoff, put the washers on the now cut QTips, they are now cotton stems, line the MB up on the stems, like each stem acts like a center pin, zero damage this way. Pull out each stem, 1 at a time starting with the opposite end of the back IO, pull each stem out with a pair of hemostats, insert each screw just enough you know it's in and the washer(s) stays in place. You will also have to buy longer screws that you can obtain just about anywhere, 1/2" will do, maybe buy 3/8" long also just in case screws are cheap, make sure the threads are deep enough by hand screwing each new screw into the standoff itself, see where it bottoms out, before you even try the MB in the case. So you know what length of screw will work. My first time took a while, but I just did all the figuring it out for you. I can take out my Z690 Dark Kingpin and install my Z690 Classified in about 45 minutes. You will end up with a zero damaged MB, fully insulated from grounding out anything on the MB. Love a case, make it work.

Thanks again!

I just had to remove one stand off. I'm glad it worked out that way.

I have a way older different case. Bought it about 8 years ago.

Yeah I removed the whole backplate altogether, not wanting to bend the whole thing. It will fit in a Define 7 XL but as mentioned earlier - the CPU cooler backplate of the Arctic Liquid Freezer II hits and slightly bends the back of the case as it doesn't match the cutout.