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Corsair 12VHPWR Power Adapter Could Help Prevent 16-Pin Meltdowns
Corsair has released a handy 180-degree 12VHPWR power adapter for some of the best graphics cards that use the 16-pin power connector. The right-angle adapter aims to mitigate the possibility of an improper installation of the 16-pin power cable that could lead to meltdowns on Ada Lovelace graphics cards, such as the GeForce RTX 4090.
Two potential scenarios may induce a meltdown on the 16-pin power connector. One involves bending the cable too close to the connector, and the other is when the 16-pin power connector isn't fully inserted into the header on the graphics card. Corsair's 12VHPWR power adapter (CP-8920335) will help minimize the possibility of either occurring.
The power adapter features a minimalistic but sleek design worthy of the Corsair branding. It can tolerate extreme temperatures up to 105 degrees Celsius so not even the most power-demanding graphics cards can faze the power adapter. Although the product page is live, some information about the adapter is missing. For example, Corsair (via a Corsair representative) bundles a black and white snap-on cover for the adapter so that you can swap them back and forth, depending on the theme of your build.
The Corsair 12VHPWR power adapter product page also lacks a compatibility list. Still, the adapter isn't compatible with Asus ROG Strix and TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards due to the rotated power connectors. As a result of the PCB width, Corsair's 12VHPWR power adapter probably doesn't work on many custom models. According to the company's representative, Corsair is revising the adapter to space out the connectors away from the PCB.
The market is already filled with 12VHPWR power adapters; therefore, Corsair will face tough competition. Cablemod currently offers 12VHPWR 90-degree and 180-degree adapters at $39.90. ModDIY sells one for $24.99, and you also have the non-branded Chinese adapters that start at $12.89.
Corsair told Tom's Hardware that the 12VHPWR power adapter has an MSRP of $24.99. Once the product page is ready, you can order the adapter directly from Corsair.
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Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
I haven't used one but just looking at these types of adapters seems like a bad idea to me. I have the white Corsair Premium 12VHPWR on my white Strix 4090 OC. With the angled adapters I'd be worried about any kind of "settling in" of the cables after awhile, allowing the connector to lean forward or backward. The weight of the adapter itself would only make that situation even worse. I think these angled connectors make it even likelier that the pins become loose, as users have reported with the CableMod angled connector.
I haven't used one but just looking at these types of adapters seems like a bad idea to me. I have the white Corsair Premium 12VHPWR on my white Strix 4090 OC. With the angled adapters I'd be worried about any kind of "settling in" of the cables after awhile, allowing the connector to lean forward or backward. The weight of the adapter itself would only make that situation even worse. I think these angled connectors make it even likelier that the pins become loose, as users have reported with the CableMod angled connector.
The CM angled adapters have a faiurerate near 99:1 vs cables from OEM/pigtail or PSU manufacturers. How can the new Corsair adapter be so much better and don't fail so hard... Yep, it can better because over 90% of the custom 4090 cards can't use it :) The failure ratio will be much lower.
