RTX 4070 FE uses a new power connector
NVIDIA’s most recent iteration of the GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards profusely implements the 12VHPWR interface. However, in recent months, numerous reports have emerged of these 12VHPWR connectors suffering from overheating and melting, thus compelling NVIDIA and PCI-SIG to revisit the existing design to provide enhanced locking and connection mechanisms.
According to Igor’s LAB, NVIDIA has introduced the GeForce RTX 4070 Founder Edition, featuring an improved sensing pin design. This is presumably the premier graphics card equipped with a refined 12VHPWR power connector design. Compared to the original design, the new connector has diminished the length of the sensing pins, responsible for defining the wattage across four data pins.
The GeForce RTX 4080 Founder Edition continues to utilize a design conforming to the CEM 5.0 specification, with a meager inner offset of 0.45mm at its apex. On the other hand, the revised version used in the GeForce RTX 4070 Founder Edition boasts an inward offset of 1.7mm at its tip, akin to the recently revealed “12V-2×6 PCIe 6.0” connector.
Recent reports suggest that PCI-SIG is in the process of preparing an improved variant, named “12V-2×6 PCIe 6.0”, intended to mitigate potential risks. Although the design appears to have undergone significant alterations, the current GeForce RTX 4070 Founder Edition’s employed modification might not fully exhibit the “12V-2×6 PCIe 6.0”. The connector still bears the “H+” marking, rather than the “H++” utilized by the “12V-2×6 PCIe 6.0” connector.
At present, a significant majority of GeForce RTX 4070 graphics cards available in the market rely on the conventional 8Pin power interface, with only a select few manufacturers opting for the 12VHPWR interface. Igor’s LAB also examined a selection of graphics cards produced by board manufacturers and found that the RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio graphics card, displayed by MSI at Computex 2023, also adopted the new design. It’s understood that NVIDIA is currently testing the new power connectors. As such, until any firm conclusions are drawn, these improved power connectors will retain the “H+” marking.
