{"id":7089,"date":"2020-08-24T17:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-24T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/nvidias-12-pin-power-connector-for-next-gen-geforce-cards-makes-a-lot-of-sense-when-you-see-it\/"},"modified":"2020-08-24T17:32:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T17:32:00","slug":"nvidias-12-pin-power-connector-for-next-gen-geforce-cards-makes-a-lot-of-sense-when-you-see-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/nvidias-12-pin-power-connector-for-next-gen-geforce-cards-makes-a-lot-of-sense-when-you-see-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Nvidia’s 12-pin power connector for next-gen GeForce cards makes a lot of sense when you see it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nvidia’s 12-pin power connector for next-gen GeForce cards makes a lot of sense when you see it<\/h2>\n

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When rumors of an Nvidia-specific power connector for the rumored GeForce RTX 3090 surfaced last month, it sent hardware nerds into a tizzy that the cable would be a major turn off<\/a>. If you need a fresh cable or power supply to run a new Ampere GPU, after all, that could push you toward the competition.\u00a0But in pictures revealed by German site Hardwareluxx.de<\/a>, the 12-pin connector makes a pretty compelling case for why it might be preferred.<\/p>\n

Hardwareluxx.de actually got a hold of a cable from power supply maker Seasonic (which also spilled the beans about these connectors on Chinese social site bilibili<\/a>). Editor Andreas Schilling\u00a0posted a tweet<\/a> showing the new 12-pin connector next to the standard dual 8-pin connectors used on high-end graphics cards.<\/p>\n

As you can see, the new Nvidia connector is tiny. Really tiny. It was always expected to be smaller than a standard connector, but seeing the new Nvidia 12-pin next to a standard connector now puts it all in perspective.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a> Twitter<\/small>
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A comparison photo posted by Hardwareluxx.de\u2019s Andreas Schilling<\/a> shows just how tiny Nvidia\u2019s apparent 12-pin power plug is next to a conventional 8-pin connector.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Nvidia\u2019s 12-pin connector broke cover last month as a rumor, it was mostly pitched as an OEM-only part. PC OEMs often break standards to improve production line speed or to improve on a specification they believe is holding back PCs.<\/p>\n

Nvidia\u2019s tiny 12-pin connector is also expected to supply a beefy dose of wattage\u2014648 watts, according to Tom\u2019s Hardware<\/a>. If true, that means a single cable plus the power from the PCIe slot should be plenty for Nvidia\u2019s new \u201cAmpere\u201d GPU-based GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards.<\/p>\n

Moving to smaller connectors on a graphics card\u2019s PCB opens more room for a beefy heat sink. The cabling doesn\u2019t shrink much so there\u2019s still a lot of cord to wrangle, but a single 12-pin for the cards would mean no longer having to deal with figuring out the occasionally finicky combo plugs in use today.<\/p>\n

With standard power cable designs, you have to convert 6+2 pins into 8 pin (or back) when installing the GPU. A single 12-pin eliminates the time wasted, and the potential for confusion among builders.<\/p>\n

\"triple6\"<\/a> Gordon Mah Ung<\/small>
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Nvidia\u2019s 12-pin connector should let board makers enable dual 12-pin connectors for designs that might need it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 12-pin plug also means if a card required it\u2014and there\u2019s no evidence it does\u2014a dual 12-pin connector would occupy the same board space as a dual 8-pin connector. While there\u2019s no indication yet that Nvidia\u2019s upcoming boards will need a dual 12-pin configuration, such a design should be possible in theory. That paves the way for over the top designs such as this limited-edition ROG GeForce GTX 580 Asus Mars II that featured three 8-pin connectors.<\/p>\n