I agree that yes, vram needs active cooling. look at the problems that first versions of 3090 had with those vram modules on the back of the pcb.
Will it work without active cooling? Yes
Do I think that fittings touching the lateral panel is a much lesser problem that vram not cooled properly? Also yes
Alphacool has these 90 degree fittings that are only 18mm high. It could make a difference, but you have to use their propietary tubing (which I like btw) but you may need to change every other fitting in your system if you have already bought it.
La nueva manga de 90 grados de la serie Enterprise Solutions de Alphacool está diseñada específicamente para mangueras Alphacool TPV. El manguito roscado es giratorio y utiliza un sistema de doble junta tórica(O-Ring) para evitar fugas....
www.aquatuning.es
Also try to look for a barbed 90 degree fitting. These are 16.6 mm high I believe, you only need to put a couple of clamps and you´re good to go
Something like this
10mm 90° angled fitting, revolvable and made from black nickel plated brass. Complete with O-ring and suitable for use with PVC, PU, PA, silicone or PE tubing with an inner diameter of 10mm. Technical specifications:...
www.aquatuning.es