Nvidia Seemingly Uses Revamped Power Connector for RTX 4070 FE

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Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition already uses 12V-2x6 connector.

GeForce RTX 40 Series
(Image credit: Nvidia)

PCI-SIG is yet to formally introduce a revamped version of 12VHPWR connector that can solve the melting connector issue that has plagued GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards several months ago. Igor's Lab claims that Nvidia's own GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition graphics board already uses the refined 12V-2×6 auxiliary power plug.

The main difference between the original 12VHPWR connector and the new 12V-2×6 plug are shorter sense pins, approximately 1.7 mm. This design ensures that the power header is fully inserted into the connector, otherwise the power supply does not activate high power modes, avoiding overheating and melting when a graphics card requires a lot of power.

(Image credit: Igor's Lab)

It looks like for now only Astron produces the new 12V-2×6 power connectors and Nvidia is the only company that uses them, at least according to Igor's Lab. Other suppliers of graphics cards will most likely wait for PCI-SIG to formally specify the new plug before using it for mass market products. It seems that Nvidia is willing to take the risk with its GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition product, which is one of the best graphics cards around. 

What remains to be seen is when PCI-SIG finalizes the new 12V-2×6 power connector and when makers of graphics cards start using it instead of the notorious 12VHPWR plug.

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Anton Shilov
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.

35 Comments Comment from the forums
  • edzieba
    Since the third inescapable universal constant (after "death" and "taxes") is that the universe will always dispense a bigger idiot when the opportunity is presented: it will only be a matter of time before the 'new' connector variant melts due to poor insertion, where someone has cranked over the plug such that the sense pins mate correctly but the power pins are jammed in at an angle (regardless of what that does to the plastic housing). Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
    Reply
  • Soaptrail
    The author has a sense of humor:

    It seems that Nvidia is willing to take the risk with its GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition product,
    Reply
  • The Historical Fidelity
    edzieba said:
    Since the third inescapable universal constant (after "death" and "taxes") is that the universe will always dispense a bigger idiot when the opportunity is presented: it will only be a matter of time before the 'new' connector variant melts due to poor insertion, where someone has cranked over the plug such that the sense pins mate correctly but the power pins are jammed in at an angle (regardless of what that does to the plastic housing). Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
    Truer words have never been spoken
    Reply
  • Friesiansam
    Both Nvidia and AMD need to put a lot more effort into improving efficiency, whilst increasing performance. They can't carry on shovelling in more and more power, for improved performance. It's ridiculous that a top-end graphics card, can draw more than 450 Watts,
    Reply
  • doomtomb
    Friesiansam said:
    Both Nvidia and AMD need to put a lot more effort into improving efficiency, whilst increasing performance. They can't carry on shovelling in more and more power, for improved performance. It's ridiculous that a top-end graphics card, can draw more than 450 Watts,
    Couldn't agree more. It's always going to be about Performance per Watt.
    Reply
  • NeoMorpheus
    I wonder how much "ink" would had been used if it was AMD that decided to use this power connector AND had the same melting issue.

    But since its nvidia, its only a minor inconvenience...
    Reply
  • mwm2010
    The Historical Fidelity said:
    Truer words have never been spoken
    You are absolutely right.
    Reply
  • YSCCC
    edzieba said:
    Since the third inescapable universal constant (after "death" and "taxes") is that the universe will always dispense a bigger idiot when the opportunity is presented: it will only be a matter of time before the 'new' connector variant melts due to poor insertion, where someone has cranked over the plug such that the sense pins mate correctly but the power pins are jammed in at an angle (regardless of what that does to the plastic housing). Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
    Don't agree with it.

    Yes user error will always happen, but when you design a card that is so tall, where 90% of cases out there will yank on the connector hard enough to render it's clipping mechanism still clipped but with a bad contact is surely a design problem. typica case width is pretty standard for decades, and when you don't specify there is a new risk, ppl would just cable manage to improve look and air flow as the old connectors being yanked similarly hard for a decade, assuming it's fine! the old 8pin don't require that bending limit or so and it don't burn here and there.
    Reply
  • The Historical Fidelity
    doomtomb said:
    Couldn't agree more. It's always going to be about Performance per Watt.
    Then why aren’t people buying the 4000 series? Nvidia greatly improved their performance per watt performance this gen, especially compared to AMD. People care about performance first and foremost. Efficiency is a secondary parameter to decide between similarly performing product A or B
    Reply
  • Unolocogringo
    After looking at the numbers a new 4070 is in my plans.
    I can then retire my 960FTW 4gb and 1060 6gb gamer.
    PPD/watt kind of thing.
    That will leave me with a 1070 SC ,3060ti FE and a new 4070 FE/Asus card folding.
    So some of us do care about wattage and heat produced when they run close to 24/7/365. Power outages and every three months I install windows updates shut down and dust.
    Other than that they work hard folding or an occasional game on my main system.
    Sorry but AMD cards use too much watts/PPD for me to consider them.
    Reply