As the 12VHPWR power connector and its 12V-2x6 successor continue to plague the best graphics cards with meltdowns, Segotep, a Chinese manufacturer of computer hardware, believes it has a potential solution. The company's latest Titanload 12V-2x6 power cables (via Uniko's Hardware) incorporate power pins with higher current ratings, which could serve to prevent such connector failures.
PCI-SIG and Intel's ATX 3.0 specifications mandate a minimum electrical current rating of 9.2A for the power pins within the 16-pin power connector. Segotep's Titanload and Titanload EX power cables employ 12A and 14A power pins, respectively. These ratings deliver safety margins that are 30% and 52% higher than the reference specification. Additional advantages of employing higher-amperage pins include enhanced heat dissipation and improved capacity to contain current imbalances during spikes.
Segotep performed a standard test under ambient conditions at a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, without the use of air cooling, with a load of 669W at 9.3A. The company subsequently increased the load to 864W at 12A for an extreme test, and further to 1,080W at 15A for a suicide test.
The basic Titanload cable produced a 43% reduction in average temperature and a 48% reduction in peak temperature compared to a standard 12V-2x6 cable. Additionally, the hot spot was 38% cooler.
Meanwhile, the results for the Titanload EX cable, designed for overclockers, were even more remarkable. The average and peak temperatures decreased by 67% and 72%, respectively, and the hot spot dropped by 53%.
Logically, no results were provided for a standard 12V-2x6 power connector during the extreme test, as the power load significantly exceeds the specified limits. Although a direct comparison was not feasible, Segotep did compare the Titanload and the Titanload EX, with the latter clearly having the advantage due to its pins possessing higher current ratings.
The Titanload cable demonstrated temperatures below 75 degrees Celsius, whereas the Titanload EX cable's temperatures remained significantly lower, well below 50 degrees Celsius. The observed temperature difference approximates up to 38% lower temperatures for the Titanload EX. Regarding the hot spot, the Titanload cable nearly reached 100 degrees Celsius, while the Titanload EX cable remained below 75 degrees Celsius, representing an approximate 27% reduction in temperature.
Under the suicide test, the Titanload EX cable maintained hotspot temperatures below 95 degrees Celsius, whereas the standard 12V-2x6 cable surpassed 120 degrees Celsius. Notably, there was only a 5% difference between the Titanload cables.
Citing Arrhenius' equation, which states that the failure rate doubles for every 10 degrees Celsius increase in temperature, the Titanload cable has a thermal failure rate of 6.5%, and the Titanload EX cable, with 1.2%, is under a standard load of 669W, that of the 12V-2x6 cable.
Segotep will incorporate the Titanload cables with the company's forthcoming Titanload power supplies intended for Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50 (codenamed Blackwell) series and subsequent products. Nevertheless, the company has not yet confirmed whether the Titanload cables will be sold separately.
Segotep is not the first brand to try to seek a solution to prevent meltdowns of the 12VHPWR and 12V-2x6 connectors. Numerous companies have endeavored to address this issue. Superficial efforts include coloring the connector to help users ensure correct insertion, while more sophisticated solutions use devices that monitor power usage or provide load balancing. Additionally, the DIY community has proposed innovative workarounds. It remains to be seen whether Segotep's brute-force attempt will have any greater success in preventing failures.
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