I have tried to search for information as to why it doesn't have one.   Is this for better cooling?  Would adding a modded backplate help cooling or hinder?  I don't care about looks. Thanks.

Protects the back of the card, and protects the card from warp or flex. It could also drop temps by a degree or two.

Do you know why evga didn’t add a backplate? Was it to make hybrid modding easier?

The reason the backplate wasn't added is most likely because the super black is the lowest end rtx 2080 super you can buy, so the reason it didn't come with a backplate is because other higher end rtx 2080 super models are already offered with a backplate.

Okay thanks 😊

No problem.

Just don't put a plastic back plate on as the heat won't transfer very well,can't you get one from evga that will fit the card.

clone
Just don't put a plastic back plate on as the heat won't transfer very well,can't you get one from evga that will fit the card.

Before I made this thread I had wondered that too and did a search and found this:

https://forums.evga.com/m.m.aspx?m=2991720&p=1

So looks like no unfortunately but there is a link in there to somebody who makes custom ones that fit.

I am wondering now though, if the top of the card is open and exposed, wouldn’t that be better cooling from the front intake fan air sweeping across it than having it covered?

yaggaz

clone
Just don't put a plastic back plate on as the heat won't transfer very well,can't you get one from evga that will fit the card.

Before I made this thread I had wondered that too and did a search and found this:

https://forums.evga.com/m.m.aspx?m=2991720&p=1

So looks like no unfortunately but there is a link in there to somebody who makes custom ones that fit.

I am wondering now though, if the top of the card is open and exposed, wouldn’t that be better cooling from the front intake fan air sweeping across it than having it covered?

I would say it's probably fine without since the cooling it would provide wouldn't be a lot for the back of the card but as for opened and exposed vs. a piece of metal it's about the thermal transfer of the metal to spread out the heat with fins to allow for good airflow for cooling. For example a CPU wouldn't be able to just be cooled by blowing air on it but a good CPU cooler made with a metal that conducts heat very well like copper will cool it very well.
 
For buying a custom it's hard to say it would be any better then just air and it really could be worse.