The new Nvidia Ampere graphics cards will require an entirely new PSU, and PC gamers may be heading to AMD's Big Navi cards instead. As usual, GPU rumors are becoming more and more intense as we get closer to the final GeForce release date, and this latest information suggests that Nvidia's next generation Founders Edition cards will be able to power top-end Ampere GPUs with about 400W of power through a new power connector, suggesting that it will be equipped with a new power supply to provide approximately 400W of power to the top-end Ampere GPUs.

Nevertheless, this 12-pin connector could, at least in theory, supply up to 600W. That is if it is operated under optimal conditions with higher-specification pins. Given that other performance rumors predict Nvidia's amped TDP to be around 350W, it makes sense that a new, super-powerful connector would be utilized.

The report comes from FCPowerUp (via Overclockers), a Chinese outlet that claims to have confirmed that Nvidia will use a new 12-pin connector on its upcoming RTX 30 series graphics cards. According to this report, the new plug is similar in size to the current Molex Micro-Fit connector used on current GPUs and should take up the same space as one of the 6+2 pin connectors used on high-end cards.

A 4-pin connector is also a possibility, but the FCPowerUp writer has no idea what it could be used for or even if it is actually a power interface.

They state, if I am reading the machine translation correctly, that the new 12-pin interface will only be used for reference cards shipped by Nvidia itself, and that actual add-in board (AIB) partners such as Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI will be using the current standard They claim that they may stick with the current standard Molex Micro-Fit cable.

However, this is all sorts of troubling, and I am really at a loss as to how much credence to give this report. there are reasonable reasons why Nvidia would want to introduce a new power socket. Given that the new Ampere GPUs may exceed the TDP rated 350W power consumption, they may need all of the potential 400W that the new cables can provide as far as total board power.

Then again, the cabling obtained from existing power supplies can sometimes be unstable. We experienced some problems with a single power cable split into twin 6+2 pin connectors when we first checked out the RTX 2080 a few years ago. So there is some validity to Nvidia's use of a single, more robust cable for their flagship (and presumably overclocked) Founders Edition cards. [Either PSU manufacturers need to provide compatible replacement cables before the Nvidia Ampere cards are released, or else release new supplies in time for the GeForce launch. Either that, or Nvidia will bundle the adapters in the box, which would pretty much negate the usefulness of the new stable power connectors.

I find that an odd choice, since Nvidia is potentially relying on PC gamers getting a new high-end Founders Edition graphics card and a new high-end PSU at the same time. And it will certainly push more people to the AMD Big Navi RDNA 2 card, which is scheduled to be released a little later.

To be fair, there is a new PSU standard (.pdf warning) introduced by Intel that may appear this year; ATX12VO (12V only) is expected to appear first in system builders, but eventually in the DIY market. However, that would require a completely new motherboard design to accommodate the 10-pin board connection, and frankly, I don't expect that to happen until another generation of new CPUs, HEDT or not.

My only thought on the potential power connections for this new graphics card is that they may appear on the Founders Edition circuit board, but are actually of no relevance to the end user. When the potential design of the new Ampere card was leaked, there was talk of a relatively short Nvidia-specific GeForce PCB. This meant that there had to be a cable hidden under a shroud between the power connector at the end of the card and the circuit board itself.

It is possible that Nvidia is using this new 12-pin connection internally to provide a robust interface that can draw the necessary power from a standard twin 6+2 pin connection with a single internal cable. The overall design would be costly, but that seems unlikely to be a concern in the Founders Edition world, which would explain why the AIB design does not utilize the same plug socket.

But as ever, until we see Nvidia's new Ampere graphics card in the flesh, it is now just rumor and speculation. It is highly unlikely that this rumored 12-pin connection will ever see the light of day on a consumer card. However, given the increasing frequency of rumors and leaks, I don't think we need to wait that long to find out.