Monday, September 25th 2023

The 12V-2x6 Connectors Appear to Handle Full Load While Partially Inserted

Hardware Busters put the new 12V-2x6 connector—which is part of the ATX v3.1 standard—to the test to see how it compares to the 12VHPWR connector and the results are very encouraging. Not only does the 12V-2x6 cables appear to run at much cooler temperature, even at a 55 Ampere load, although the setup that was tested had only been running at this load for around 30 minutes. Even so, the cable and connector was only reading a surface temperature of around 46 degrees, which is well within specs.

However, to show that the new connector wouldn't suffer the catastrophic failure that some 12VHPWR connectors have suffered due to not having been mated properly with the connector on the graphics card, the same test was also performed with the connector partially inserted. Based on the test equipment shown in the video, there was no variation in Voltage, Amps or temperature. The specific cable was produced by a company in China called Linewell that apparently makes the PSU cables for ASUS among others. The secret behind the improved connector is a combination of new pins inside the connector and the shorter auxiliary pins which means that a poorly inserted connector won't allow the GPU to request higher power levels from the PSU. The new pins inside of the connectors appear to be solving the thermal issues as well, so hopefully we won't be reading about any more melted connectors in the future. See the video after the break for more details.
Source: Hardware Busters
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58 Comments on The 12V-2x6 Connectors Appear to Handle Full Load While Partially Inserted

#1
i486
Is this the connector revision found on newer 4090s?
Posted on Reply
#2
STSMiner
Maybe they need to follow the new specs for the connectors (male / female) as per the ATX 3.1 (PCIe 5.1) that recently got released.

cdrdv2-public.intel.com/336521/336521_Rev2p1.pdf

And it seems they changed the specs again with reference to the female pins, the 3 dimple design can be used.
Posted on Reply
#3
TheLostSwede
News Editor
i486Is this the connector revision found on newer 4090s?
Should be, yes.
STSMinerMaybe they need to follow the new specs for the connectors (male / female) as per the ATX 3.1 (PCIe 5.1) that recently got released.

cdrdv2-public.intel.com/336521/336521_Rev2p1.pdf

And it seems they changed the specs again with reference to the female pins, the 3 dimple design can be used.
That's what this video is about. Edited the news post to make it more clear.
Posted on Reply
#4
STSMiner
But are they using the new connectors (the black male connector on their test board and female connector for the cables) here ?

The PSU and the GPU should be using the new male connectors.
Posted on Reply
#5
TheLostSwede
News Editor
STSMinerBut are they using the new connectors (the black male connector on their test board and female connector for the cables) here ?

The PSU and the GPU should be using the new male connectors.
I would presume so, but I honestly don't know and he doesn't appear to say.
Posted on Reply
#7
STSMiner
Yeah, and that should not be happening based on the new specs.
Posted on Reply
#8
A Computer Guy
HairyLobsters"Handle full load with partial insertion"
:rolleyes:
Posted on Reply
#9
TheLostSwede
News Editor
STSMinerYeah, and that should not be happening based on the new specs.
Sure, be clearly did it on purpose to see what would happen.
Posted on Reply
#10
STSMiner
The socket for the PSU and the GPU should be using the new design, the connector on the cables should also be using the new design.

He's demonstrated that there is still a problem and it's not fully backwards compatible.

If they are using the new connector (the black one on that test board) then it's evident that there are still problems with the 12V-2x6 spec if they are able to pull full power with a partial inserted connector.

The PSU they are using there (on the left in the video), is it ATX 3.1, if not, that could be the issue as well.
Posted on Reply
#11
R-T-B
STSMinerThe socket for the PSU and the GPU should be using the new design, the connector on the cables should also be using the new design.

He's demonstrated that there is still a problem and it's not fully backwards compatible.

If they are using the new connector (the black one on that test board) then it's evident that there are still problems with the 12V-2x6 spec if they are able to pull full power with a partial inserted connector.
lolwut. No, not if it's able to pull AND deliver the power safely.
Posted on Reply
#12
STSMiner
R-T-Blolwut. No, not if it's able to pull AND deliver the power safely.
Until it's not.
Posted on Reply
#13
TheLostSwede
News Editor
STSMinerThe socket for the PSU and the GPU should be using the new design, the connector on the cables should also be using the new design.

He's demonstrated that there is still a problem and it's not fully backwards compatible.

If they are using the new connector (the black one on that test board) then it's evident that there are still problems with the 12V-2x6 spec if they are able to pull full power with a partial inserted connector.

The PSU they are using there (on the left in the video), is it ATX 3.1, if not, that could be the issue as well.
It's a test rig set up in that way, as this is a cable manufacturer, not a PSU manufacturer.

Also more details here.
hwbusters.com/psus/atx-v3-1-pcie-cem-5-1-are-official/
Posted on Reply
#14
Dave65

[URL='https://www.techpowerup.com/314066/the-12v-2x6-connectors-appear-to-handle-full-load-while-partially-inserted']The 12V-2x6 Connectors Appear to Handle Full Load While Partially Inserted[/URL]

Just before it burst into flames and burns your house down.
Posted on Reply
#15
TheoneandonlyMrK
R-T-Blolwut. No, not if it's able to pull AND deliver the power safely.
I think you're missing the bit where they say you can't even get full power on partial insertion due to design changes so the sense pins only make on full insertion.
Posted on Reply
#16
STSMiner
TheLostSwedeIt's a test rig set up in that way, as this is a cable manufacturer, not a PSU manufacturer.

Also more details here.
hwbusters.com/psus/atx-v3-1-pcie-cem-5-1-are-official/
Yes, and that test showed that the PSU was still pushing max power with a partial connection of the connectors, that should not happen, the sense pins PSU side are grounded allowing full power based on that test that was carried out.
Posted on Reply
#17
KLMR
So you make a revision to a standard to allow something pulling +600W to work when partially inserted?
Shouldn't the revision avoid partiall insertion in the first place?
Posted on Reply
#18
Bato Loco
and is this necessary?? because they always said that the burned cards were due to user error...
Posted on Reply
#19
bonehead123
KLMRShouldn't the revision avoid partiall insertion in the first place?
Apparently you can't just fix stupid, regardless of how many so-called revisions you make :(
Posted on Reply
#20
Wirko
The connector may be good but the name is really unfortunate... Was the original version not 2x6?
Posted on Reply
#21
STSMiner
WirkoThe connector may be good but the name is really unfortunate... Was the original version not 2x6?
With ref to the connectors, yes.

2 rows of 6 pins as per the RTX 30x0 FE cards (12VHPWR first gen connector), all that was missing was the sense pins, also, the pins used in those connectors (the patch cable that came with the RTX 3080 FE/ 90 FE) used the NTK female pins in the 12VHPWR connector, the same with the RTX 3090 Ti I have here, the connector on the patch cable has NTK female pins in it.
Posted on Reply
#22
crmaris
STSMinerYeah, and that should not be happening based on the new specs.
only IF a GPU was connected on the other side. The load tester doesn't care for the sense pins.
Posted on Reply
#23
STSMiner
crmarisonly IF a GPU was connected on the other side. The load tester doesn't care for the sense pins.
The PSU should not be allowing max power, the sense pins are to tell the PSU to limit it's output or allow max output based on those sense pins from the device that's connected to the other end of the cable, the GPU in this case.

Partially connected connector should tell the PSU (ATX 3.1 specs) not to supply power - sense pins (0+1) open = 0 watts, or in the case of ATX 3.0 specs, limit the power to the lowest state of 150 watts.
Posted on Reply
#24
TheLostSwede
News Editor
STSMinerYes, and that test showed that the PSU was still pushing max power with a partial connection of the connectors, that should not happen, the sense pins PSU side are grounded allowing full power based on that test that was carried out.
It's a TEST. How hard is that to understand? They've clearly set things up to test the cables and connectors, since that's what the company manufactures.
This is NOT a real world behaviour.
You've clearly never been involved in making anything if you don't understand this.
Posted on Reply
#25
A Computer Guy
So it seems improved metallurgy of the connector pins is the answer. I wonder if the same metallurgy in the older 12VHPWR connector would benefit as well.
Posted on Reply
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