EVGA Equips RTX 3090 Ti Kingpin Card with PowerLink 52U 12VHPWR Adaptor

EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Kingpin Hybrid Gaming
(Image credit: EVGA)

EVGA's Kingpin (stylized as K|NGP|N) series graphics cards have always been a little special. They use a custom printed circuit board (PCB) with an enhanced voltage regulating module (VRM) along with a hybrid or liquid cooling system to ensure maximum performance. But with its GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, EVGA has gone one step further: it bundled a rather formidable 1600W power supply with the board. And now we see a special converter board for 12VHPWR.

EVGA's 1.6kW PSU lacks the 12VHPWR PCIe Gen5 auxiliary power connectors that EVGA's GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Kingpin graphics board uses, which is why EVGA had to create its special PowerLink 52U five 8-pin to two 16-pin (12VHPWR) power adapter exclusively for its flagship card (which will be among the best gaming graphics cards ever produced until the RTX refresh hits), Jacob Freeman, a spokesman for EVGA, has revealed in his Twitter

The EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Kingpin uses two 12VHPWR PCIe Gen5 auxiliary power connectors that can deliver up to 1200W of power, an amount that the board can barely devour even when heavily overclocked. Nonetheless, to make its overkill VRM work properly, EVGA wants to feed both connectors with enough power. Apparently the five 8-pin PCIe auxiliary power plugs (that can deliver 750W) can do the job, albeit using a special adapter.

(Image credit: EVGA)

EVGA's PowerLink 52U will certainly simplify cable management for existing GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Kingpin owners since messing with cabled adapters is not particularly user friendly. What remains to be seen is whether the same adapter will be supplied with future GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards (or sold separately) since they will use 12VHPWR PCIe Gen5 power connectors and will not be compatible with existing PSUs out-of-box. 

Common logic says that since next-generation graphics cards will still be power hungry and will need new power connectors, there will be adapters for these boards to make them work with existing high-wattage power supply that will still be good for upcoming graphics adapters.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • artk2219
    That is an obscene amount of power for a standard desktop component.
    Reply
  • hasten
    artk2219 said:
    That is an obscene amount of power for a standard desktop component.
    I hope no one is shelling out the premium for a kingpin with intentions of using it as a standard desktop component. This is a special use card for extreme overclockers or trust fund kids looking to grow their e-p.
    Reply
  • artk2219
    hasten said:
    I hope no one is shelling out the premium for a kingpin with intentions of using it as a standard desktop component. This is a special use card for extreme overclockers or trust fund kids looking to grow their e-p.

    I guess I should clarify, I meant it more as in a component that can be used in a standard desktop, vs a component thats geared more towards workstation or server work. Currently Cerebras holds the crown with its extremely powerful dinner plate sized chip, 15KW of power consumption.

    https://prog.world/meet-wse-2-7nm-processor-with-850-thousand-cores-and-15-kw-power-consumption/
    Reply
  • mavroxur
    I'm just waiting for the day that graphics cards switch to 48v - it'd make a LOT more sense than dumping a million amps across cables at 12v. Just deliver 48v to the card and buck regulate it down for your core and memory voltages there. Ohm's law, folks.
    Reply
  • Friesiansam
    hasten said:
    I hope no one is shelling out the premium for a kingpin with intentions of using it as a standard desktop component. This is a special use card for extreme overclockers or trust fund kids looking to grow their e-p.
    When it comes to the UK, I suspect it will cost well over £2500, thanks to the devaluing of the Pound courtesy of Johnson's alleged government's incompetence. If somebody is that desperate to have the best, that they will spend that much, that's their problem...
    Reply
  • SyCoREAPER
    I'm sure someone somewhere is saying goodbye to their electricity bill.
    Reply