Detaching the GPU from the motherboard
Detaching the GPU from the motherboard
Did you remove the empty plates securing the card in the case?
It's just more robust than you realize; if that plastic clip fails, it won't be catastrophic and you're unlikely to break it yourself. From the way it sounds, I've worked much harder than you across numerous computers without ever experiencing a failure. Send it, bud.
If you're concerned, use a chopstick to push back and gently shake the GPU forward and backward as much as possible until it releases the clip.