Updated 12V-2×6 Connector, Aka Formerly 12VHPWR, Survives 640W Stress Test Even When Partially Inserted

Peter_Brosdahl

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The updated 12V-2x6 connector, the follow-up to the controversial 12VHPWR connector has passed a series of stress tests with flying colors. HardwareBusters took the new connector to task by not only using it under ideal settings, but also tried a couple of "user" error-type scenarios, and the updated 12V-2x6 connector performed flawlessly. From bending the cable beyond the recommended level to only partially inserting the connector testing showed it maintained an average temperature between 41°C-46.5°C, even when under load with 640W of power. Since testing was performed by using a load tester the sense pins did not restrict power from the PSU. The connector also passed testing, via proper insertion, with 660W of power.

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Yep, my only concern with this testing is the quality of cables used with the connector. What they had looked pretty beefy and I'm not so sure if all manufacturers will use something similar. Otherwise, at least its progress.
 
I think this ship has sailed, nothing will rebuild my confidence in this type of connector. They should stop beating a dead horse and design a beefier one.

t’s essential to remember that every power cable and connector carries some risk of failure, and no design is entirely flawless.”
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Oh, really? Then why did I never hear about traditional 8 pin and 6 pin connectors melting in droves?
 
Brian_B said:
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Did you look at your own link? Because using this search term shows more images of melted HPWR cables than 6 and 8 pin PCIE connectors. Actually of the latter I see zero on the first page, maybe there is one but I think that's a modular PSU connector.

BTW old 4 pin molex cables indeed were capable of melting due to bad connection, but they were never designed to transmit high wattage. This is why the 6 pin PCIE connectors replaced them on video cards. The 12HPWR had one job, and it failed miserably right out the gate.
 
Peter_Brosdahl said:
Yep, my only concern with this testing is the quality of cables used with the connector. What they had looked pretty beefy and I'm not so sure if all manufacturers will use something similar. Otherwise, at least its progress.
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I agree, but honestly never had a problem with my connector on either of the 4090's I've owned. There is always room for improvement on anything manufactured.
 
MadMummy76 said:
Did you look at your own link?
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This is probably because I just linked a google search, and those aren't static pages. It's going to show search results based on your own Google profile...

My mistake. I should have taken a screen shot. It was full of gooey plastic goodness.
 
Now that I finally seen this infamous connector in person, having bought a 4080, all I can say is WOW! What an actual piece of ****. No wonder it has problems. The HPWR -> 3x8pin adaptor is such a rigid cable made worse by the fact that it connects to the side of the video card, that no matter what you do, it will put pressure on the connector because it pushes at the side of the case. Even the length is the most ill advised possible. It is just the "right" length to put the 8 pin receivers right at the distance where the side of the computer case is. If it was just slightly shorter or longer, the connectors wouldn't be at the worst possible distance.

And when you connect it to the card, there is no audible click to know it is completely seated, I was waiting for some lever or retainer to fall in place, so I kept pushing harder and harder, but there is no such thing. You have to take it on faith that it is seated properly.

It's like they aimed to make this thing the worst it can possibly be. For what? To save 2 connectors worth of PCB space?
 
I have always thought that the power delivery needed to evolve, there is NO reason to have to use multiple cables or power connectors for a video card, it SHOULD just be one connector, and that's it. However, it is clear that this new standard wasn't tested well, or, needed more time for quality testing before going public. Thankfully they have a fix, but its reputation is damaged from the get-go.

That all said, I like the idea of reducing all power cables as much as possible. A video card should only ever need 1 connector.
 
I’m kind of conflicted.

I totally agree with Brent - you should only need 1 hookup, part of me thinks it should be part of the bus connector and there are no external connections, but I realize that drives up mobo costs so … ok, maybe 1 power connector

And part of me thinks - we have plenty of existing standards, why should we be reinventing the wheel - and why should the power envelops keep creeping up requiring multiple connectors in the first place?
 
They went for small size for aesthetics and screwed up in the process. Seems they un screw themselves a bit, so good.
 
Brian_B said:
And part of me thinks - we have plenty of existing standards, why should we be reinventing the wheel
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That's the fun part: the 12VHPWR connector was an existing standard!
Brian_B said:
why should the power envelops keep creeping up requiring multiple connectors in the first place?
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This falls into the 'because we can' category, but primarily in the sense that we can build GPUs large enough and complex enough to take advantage of that much input power. Note that we're still around ~450W effective (RTX4090), and anything past that is pretty much pointless. I don't consider that too egregious when we have things like say the 4070 that runs on 150W.
 
Grimlakin said:
That's good to hear. So when the 5000 gen of cards from Nvidia comes out we will have a more reliable connector!
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Maybe, I doubt they will recall all PSU's that have been made with the old connector so they will still be around for years and continue to cause problems.

Most issues do seem related to the 4090 so here's hoping that those who get the 5000 series equivalent get a new matching PSU.
 
I'm all for one connector as well but I also feel this could have been done better.

2 connectors = okay, oh well
3 connectors = this is starting to get stupid
4 connectors = wtf are they thinking and when will this end?
 
I can understand making a new connector like PCIE 6pin replaced the 4-pin molex on video cards. But that was clear progress, the new connector was clearly more robust and reliable. The HPWR connector seems to be 3 steps back with a very generous WATT rating that it fails to reliably deliver. I have to disagree with the sentiment from above that size doesn't matter. When it comes to power delivery it very much matters. Especially girth. The smaller the pin the more heat will be generated when you pull 40A through it.

In industrial grade equipment you don't downsize the connector for reliability, you massively oversize it. If you want to deliver 20 Amps you use a connector capable of 200 Amps, guaranteeing that it will be capable of delivering that 20 Amps reliably under all even unforeseeable conditions.

The 12V HPWR connector seems to be just barely able to deliver the required power under the right conditions, with not enough wiggle room and safety margins.
 
MadMummy76 said:
The 12V HPWR connector seems to be just barely able to deliver the required power under the right conditions, with not enough wiggle room and safety margins.
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That's really not what has been found. The connector still has a very generous safety margin - maybe not 1000%, but definitely 200%.

The problem is that folks have trouble fully and securely inserting it, as well as having it back out on them. This is what the new connector is aiming to solve.
 
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