Nvidia may be working on a tweaked version of its most powerful gaming GPU, the GeForce RTX 4090 which has a slightly different 12VHPWR connector. The new design for the Founders Edition (FE) card was noticed by a Redditor, but a report from last week stated that this change was first implemented in the GeForce RTX 4070 FE. With the implementation of this new design in the RTX 4090 FE cards, the risk of melting cables may have been reduced.
Late last year, several users noticed that thepower cables on the Nvidia RTX 4090 cards were melting. When the issue became more widespread, Nvidia finally responded saying that the cause of melting cables could be the connectors not being fully plugged into the graphics card. The company found that wear damage on the returned cable adapters indicated that the cables were not fully seated. This potentially led to high temperatures that melted the cables.
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Redditor ‘prackprackprack’shared an imageof a brand-new Founders Edition Nvidia RTX 4090 that had a somewhat tweaked 12VHPWR connector design. The sense pins were shorter compared to the original Nvidia RTX 4090 as well as the Nvidia RTX 4080. While this may seem like a minor tweak, it could potentially prevent the Nvidia RTX 4090 cables from melting. With the recessed sense pins, if the cables are not fully seated, the card will theoretically not take power, in turn avoiding high power being forced through a loose cable.
Interestingly, Nvidia seemingly started implementing this change to the connector with theGeForce RTX 4070 cards. According to a report by Igor Labs last week, the Founders Edition RTX 4070 comes with a 12VHPWR connector that hassmaller or recessed sense pins. When the card was launched, the company did not make any public announcements about the change. Now, it seems like the RTX 4090 FE is getting the same treatment.
Along with the Founders Edition, below are some of our best RTX 4090 picks.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line GPU, the GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition, contains 16,384 CUDA Cores. It can support up to 8K gaming and allows for actual, smooth ray-tracing gameplay. The Founders Edition card is also an excellent GPU variant in terms of cooling, VRMs, and value.
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition may be one of its largest GPUs ever, but the patented design supports the most potent overclocking potential out of its peers.With a vapor chamber in tow, the ROG Strix comes in both black and white and does not disappoint in either looks or power. It is easily the most powerful 4090 out there, clocking at a stable 3120 MHz in Game Rant’s in-house testing.
MSI Suprim Liquid X GeForce RTX 4090
One of the more distinct cooling designs on the market, the MSI Suprim Liquid X GeForce RTX 4090 takes the top spot for ray tracing graphics cards. This dual cooling system pays off, allowing the 4090 to maintain a high base speed of over 2640 MHz with relative ease. It can be tweaked to as much as 3000 Mhz and above core clocks in some cases.
GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 4090
The latest generation of GIGABYTE’s AORUS GeForce RTX 4090 Xtreme WATERFORCE, this is the best possible already water-cooled graphics card on the market. It’s important to note that while this is a relatively slim 4090 compared to the Founders Edition and ASUS ROG Strix, it still requires three fan slots in your PC Case.
It should be noted that this change is not the full implementation of the upcoming 12V2x6 design for the 12VHPWR connector. Nvidia announced the new connector design shortly after the melting cable issues were first reported. This new design is in line with the CEM 5.1 specifications proposed by PCI SIG for the ATX 3.1 specs. It will come with different specifications with adjusted sustained power metrics and because the headers are the same, the cables should be compatible.
As of now, it is unclear if all new RTX 4090 FE cards will come with the updated connector design. Since Nvidia has not shared any information about this change, it is unclear when board partner cards will be updated, presumably after they run out of their current stock.
Nvidia switched to the 12VHPWR connector for its power-hungry GeForce RTX 4090 cards because it can deliver up to 600W of power directly to the GPU through a single cable. AMD, on the other hand, decided to stick with the now older generation, but reliable PCIe 8-pin connectors for its Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards. Soon after the 12VHPWR connectors started showing issues with the Nvidia cards,AMD’s General Manager Scott Herkelman tweetedthat the upcoming RDNA 3 GPUs will not feature this new connector. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX, Radeon RX 7900 XT, and the Radeon RX 7600 all come with the standard 8-pin, 6-pin, or a combo connector. AMD fans can rest assured that their GPU cables will not melt and cause a malfunction with typical use.
Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPU
The Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a top-tier graphics card that will run any game at high detail and frame rates. It also offers a unique, user-friendly feature with its Fan Quick Connect system. If a fan issue occurs, there’s no need to send the whole card back.The graphics card also sports a Dual ARGB Light Bar. Not only is the GPU super powerful, but it also provides aesthetic appeal with ARGB LEDs.
MSI Radeon RX 7900 XT Gaming Trio Classic 20G
The MSI Radeon RX 7900 XT Gaming Trio Classic 20G provides the best value on the market for intense 4K gaming. With a boost clock speed of 2400 MHz and 20 GB of GDDR6 memory, this MSI graphics card outshines the competition. The graphics card’s Torx 4.0 fan uses a ring-shaped construction to direct airflow toward heatsinks. Relying on a brushed aluminum backplate, the MSI Radeon RX 7900 XT Gaming Trio Classic 20G is built to withstand years of heat and abuse suffered in a gaming rig.
