New AMD Radeon RX 8000 Gaming GPUs Could Have 16-Pin Power Connectors, Leak Says

AMD and Intel are reportedly testing 16-pin power connectors on their next-gen gaming GPUs, meaning these new graphics cards could finally ditch the good ole 6-pin and 8-pin PCIe power sockets pines of yesteryear Such a move would be a big step for the new AMD Radeon and Intel Arc cards, however. While both companies have recently lost significant market share to Nvidia, they also haven’t had to deal with numerous warranty returns for cards with melted 16-pin connectors, and the same can’t be said for Nvidia.

The original 12VHPWR connector used in the RTX 4090, among other Nvidia GPUs, has been a source of controversy, with widespread reports of smoking graphics cards and melting GPU power connectors. The situation seems to have improved with the introduction of the safer 12V-2×6 connector, which is now used in many Nvidia GPUs, and which is also expected to be used in the new RTX 5090. It is this latter socket that Intel and AMD are apparently testing it right now.

This latest leak comes from Hungarian tech site Prohardver, as spotted by Wccftech, which claims to have received information that both AMD and Intel are comparing 16-pin power connectors to their 8-pin PCIe predecessors on their new graphics cards. According to the site, the results are not entirely positive either.

“The 8-pin PCI Express power connector still behaves more reliably in tests,” the site claims, adding that “there are almost no problems during load tests.” Comparatively, according to the site’s sources, while the new 12V-2×6 connector is more reliable in these tests than the controversial original 12VHPWR connector, it is still not as reliable as a standard 8-pin PCIe power socket if the card consumes less than 300 W. .

We’ve heard similar reports from others in the industry, and Gamers Nexus has a good summary of the 12VHPWR story in the video above. In particular, the YouTube channel quotes Aris from PSU efficiency certifier Cybenetics as saying that “the best way to reduce problems is to use 2x 8pins on the PSU modular board instead of a native 12V-2×6, as the former allows for more cable flexibility and is generally more tolerant of abuse.”

As a result, it is quite possible that some future AMD Radeon and Intel Arc graphics cards will continue to use PCIe connectors at the low end, but move up to 16-pin connectors at the high end, when they draw more than 300W. Also we’ve seen this on some Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 and later cards. While Nvidia Founders Edition cards have 16-pin connectors, some partner cards, such as the Asus Dual RTX 4070, use a single PCIe power connector.

However, it’s clear that 16-pin power connectors are here to stay in one form or another, thanks to Nvidia’s persistence, as well as new PSUs featuring 16-pin power connectors from series, and both Intel and AMD will be under pressure to adopt them. Let’s face it, this single power cable gives your rig a much cleaner look than multiple 8-pin PCIe cables, too.

This wouldn’t be the first time an AMD Radeon GPU has been paired with a 16-pin socket, either. Earlier this year, ASRock used a 16-pin power connector on its Creator cards based on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, as well as the RX 7900 XT.

If you’re looking to buy a new GPU in the meantime, check out our best graphics card guide, where we’ll walk you through all our favorite gaming options at a range of price points.