Is rule illegal?

Janky but if it works, it works.

I’ve seen cardboard boxes used as PC cases. The only true rule in PC building is “Does it post?”
- Yeah, I've run a PC from a motherboard box before. If it works, it works.

It's not screwed in, and you're going to be hanging a fairly heavy cable out of it. It'll probably be fine short term, but any vibration or movement of the machine or monitor risks partially dislodging the card.

It also looks like you have removed the bracket and reattached it outside the case, which will mean that the plug on the cable can't mate properly with the socket, likely leading to intermittent issues.

In short, it might work for testing the machine, but it'll cause you pain in the long term. Get, or make, a full sized bracket and it'll be much happier.

You're right the cable doesn't insert properly. :( I'm Hoping to use this machine as a headless server with a graphics card for jellyfin transcodes, and thought that it would be better to be partially secured like this than free floating, especially when I turn the computer back upright.
But if low profile to full-size adapter brackets are standardized, that seems like a better solution. It was just too funny to not take this picture.
- You'll need a bracket that's designed for the card I think, but if you have a drill and there's a blanking plate you can canibalise you could probably make something good enough for a headless server.
  It is a fun picture, I enjoy pictures of mildly horrifying kludges that do the job.
- They aren't standardised as different cards have different connectors, locations of connectors, etc. If you aren't even running monitors out of it just run it without a bracket. The PCIe slot itself will secure it, especially because it's such a small card compared to a honking double-wide gaming GPU.

You can probably just get a full sized bracket from Ali express if it bothers you too much.

at that point just remove the bracket entirely.

The real question is "does it work?" If yes, carry on. If no, rethink this single life decision.

It's fine, especially if you aren't intentionally shaking the system.

I'd check it like once a year but besides that as long as it works I don't think you've got anything to worry about.

My close friend has loose ssds in their system that hangs off their sata power cables which I worry about more, although seeing as how they've yet to report any issues even that zaney decision is still going strong for at least 3 years now.

Very illegal

I'm calling the cops!
- 🥵

that's what duct tape is for

Just don't.

This puts lateral stress on the motherboard pci socket and on the ports soldered to the card.

Better to remove the back plate entirely.

As in, it's applying a force on the pci-e slot in the direction of the back plate? That makes sense.
On the other hand, when I turn it back upright, gravity will apply a downward force on the pci-e. :(
I will try loosening the screws so the lateral force is less but still enough to counteract gravity.
- That card weighs nothing, it'll be fine without the bracket.
- Actually, yeah. That's the best of both worlds.
  If you can crib some washers to pack the gap, you'll be fine.

time for some wattle and daub