Modern GPUs have pushed the 8-pin Molex connector to its limits. Nvidia proved this with this generation's Founders Edition cards , which feature a proprietary 12-pin connector.
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However, now a new power connector, called 12VHPWR, solves this problem by delivering as much power as four 8-pin Molex connectors - 600 W. It's part of the PCIe 5.0 standard and could start appearing on GPUs next year.
Some manufacturers have already documented the 12VHPWR connectors and cables, and some images have been released. However, the presentation of the most detailed information goes to Igor's Lab, who learned about the connector from power supply and AIB manufacturers. The latter was relieved to finally be able to leave the old 8-pin behind.
As its name suggests, the Rower connector 12VHPWR has 12 power pins/sockets. They are 3 mm wide, instead of 4.2 mm like Molex. It also features four tiny contact pins/sockets on the bottom side for side‑band signal transmission and a latch on top to secure the pins in the sockets.
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Each of the 12 power channels can carry at least 9.2 A at 12 V. When all 12 channels are active, they can carry a total of 55.22 A or 662.4 W. However, it cannot be combined with GPUs that consume more than 600 W because a ~10% surplus is required.
Impressively, at a width of 19 mm, it is only a fraction; the Power connector is larger than an 8‑pin socket. However, it requires cables with higher current rating, made from more premium materials.
Currently, there are no GPUs that require a full 600W power. The first GPU rumored to use the 12VHPWR socket is the (unconfirmed) RTX 3090 Ti, which may deliver 450W.
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But the power connector may be used up sooner than expected. AMD and Nvidia's next-generation GPUs are believed to use chiplet designs that require twice as much power as their current offerings, which already consume 250-300W.
