Seasonic plans to add a feature to its next-generation Prime power supplies that promises to solve the problem of overheating and melting 12VHPWR and 12V-2×6 power connectors once and for all. While the company promises to solve the problem, it does not resolve its source. At Computex, the company demonstrated a prototype.
A set of sensors, a microcontroller, and firmware that Seasonic plans to incorporate into its upcoming Prime power supplies will all work together, according to the company.
Although the production quality of cables, connectors, and the way people plug in their graphics cards have consequences, one of the key sources of the problem lies in the fact that graphics cards can create unbalanced loads on power rails in different circumstances, which can cause voltage increases and/or current increases on the power supply side. This causes wires in the power cable to overheat, eventually melting them and damaging graphics cards.
Seasonic proposes what is essentially two-factor protection against such a catastrophe. First up, contemporary premium power supplies can monitor their voltage output and current, and can alert PC owners of a malfunction. Seasonic proposes to use a special external device to tell users about problems, as well as enable end-users to monitor their 12V-2×6 connectors while using their graphics cards.
However, this measure doesn't work if you're not at your computer. To that end, Seasonic has added special circuitry with sensors that measure temperature and current on 12V-2×6 power connectors near the PSU. If temperature or current exceeds designated thresholds, next-generation Seasonic Prime PSUs will not only notify the owner using an external device (if plugged in), but will also trigger over-temperature and over-current protection that the power supply already has and therefore shut the system down.
While this could possibly ruin a day of offline rendering, it could also possibly save a very expensive graphics card. On the other hand, if an abnormal shutdown also ruins an SSD or HDD with precious data, this will certainly cause more damage than help.
But this is a technology for next-generation PSUs, so we will see how Seasonic’s plans work out. Seasonic plans to finish development of its next-generation Prime-series PSUs by the end of the year and then start to sell them in the first quarter of 2026.
Pricing hasn't been announced, though some additional chips and firmware work may boost pricing of already premium Prime power supplies to a new level.
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