We already talked about the next NVIDIA graphics card, the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which will arrive in January. The graphics card is supposedly the first card to feature a PCIe Gen5 power connector, a new standard that will finally solve one of the biggest drawbacks of the current 8-pin power connector, with insufficient power as it can only provide up to 150W.
Igor’sLAB managed to get the schematics and information on the new connector, confirming that there is indeed a new standard on the way, possibly for all new graphics cards in 2022.
Just like we said, the power connector has 16 total lanes (12 for power and 4 for signal), but it is not a MicroFit Molex standard, but something completely new. The PCI-SIG specifications define that each pin can withstand up to 9.2A, which means a total of 55.2A at 12V. This gives a maximum power of 662W, but the specs officially go up to 600W. Along with twelve power pins, there are 4 additional signal lines just below the connector. At this time it is not clear what their purpose is or if they are mandatory or optional.
Some manufacturers, like Amphenol, have already started showing the 12VHPWR connector specs:
“Amphenol ICC introduces the 5th Generation Minitek Pwr PCIe connector system. Both the CEM 5.0 PCI Express 12VHPWR auxiliary hybrid connector and the cable assembly support GPU power up to 600W consumption.
The 12VHPWR connector is not designed to mate with previous generation PCI Express connectors. The 12VHPWR connector power pins have a pitch of 3.00mm, while the contacts of the legacy connectors have a larger pitch of 4.20mm.
The new PCIe connector system (CEM5) is designed for power applications with a current capacity of up to 9.5A / pin (12 pins energized) and the 4 signal pins that support the transmission of signals ”.
What this also means is that NVIDIA’s 12-pin power connector will eventually die out, no one will use it anymore, and it will eventually be removed.
The first card to feature this new connector is probably the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti. So far no other card has been rumored to offer this standard.
Source: VideoCardz
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