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NVIDIA Shares Details About Ampere Founders Edition Cooling & Power Design - 12-pin Confirmed

btarunr

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NVIDIA today shared the design philosophy behind the cooling solution of its next-generation GeForce "Ampere" RTX 3080 / 3090 graphics cards, which we'll hopefully learn more about on September 1, when NVIDIA has scheduled a GeForce Special Event. Part of the new video presentation shows the evolution of NVIDIA's cooling solutions over the years. NVIDIA explains the four pillars behind the design, stressing that thermals are at the heart of its innovation, and that the company looks to explore new ways to use air-cooling more effectively to cool graphics cards. To this effect, the cooling solution of the upcoming GeForce Ampere Founders Edition graphics cards features an airflow-optimized design focused on ensuring the most effective way to take in fresh air, transfer heat to it, and exhaust the warm air in the most optimal manner.

The next pillar of NVIDIA's cooling technology innovation is mechanical structure, to minimize the structural components of the cooler without compromising on strength. The new Founder Edition cooler introduces a new low profile leaf spring that leaves more room for a back cover. Next up is reducing the electrical clutter, with the introduction of a new 12-pin power connector that is more compact, consolidates cabling, and yet does not affect the card's power delivery capability. The last pillar is product design, which puts NVIDIA's innovations together in an airy new industrial design. The video presentation includes commentary from NVIDIA's product design engineers who explain the art and science behind the next GeForce. NVIDIA is expected to tell us more about the next generation GeForce Ampere at a Special Event on September 1.





Although the video does not reveal any picture of the finished product, the bits and pieces of the product's wire-frame model, and the PCB wire-frame confirm the design of the Founders Edition which has been extensively leaked over the past few months. NVIDIA mentioned that all its upcoming cards that come with 12-pin connector include free adapters to convert standard 8-pin PCIe power connectors to 12-pin, which means there's no additional cost for you. We've heard from several PSU vendors who are working on adding native 12-pin cable support to their upcoming power supplies.

The promise of backwards compatibility has further implications: there is no technical improvement—other than the more compact size. If the connector works through an adapter cable with two 8-pins on the other end, its maximum power capability must be 2x 150 W, at the same current rating as defined in the PCIe specification. The new power plug will certainly make graphics cards more expensive, because it is produced in smaller volume, thus driving up BOM cost, plus the cost for the adapter cable. Several board partners hinted to us that they will continue using traditional PCIe power inputs on their custom designs.



The NVIDIA presentation follows.


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All those drawings look very sketchy :laugh:
 
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Very reminiscent of Apple's style, the same kind of "we designed a screw for 10 years to make it perfect" type of thing.
 

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Very reminiscent of Apple's style, the same kind of "we designed a screw for 10 years to make it perfect" type of thing.
I fail to see the connection. If Nvidia patented the design, leaving us with a proprietary connector, that would be an Apple-worthy movement.
But designing a screw for 10 years doesn't seem to have anything to do with what we're looking at here.
 
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So a single 12-pin will pull power from a single 8-pin pci-e cable?
 
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So a single 12-pin will pull power from a single 8-pin pci-e cable?

2x 8-pin. 150 W max power for the card (+75 W slot) would just not be enough
 
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So a single 12-pin will pull power from a single 8-pin pci-e cable?
That would equal a max of 225W, so doubtful. More likely 2x8 to 1x12, which would be 375W.
 
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2x 8-pin. 150 W max power for the card (+75 W slot) would just not be enough
Yeah thx for clarifying, missed that bit.
 
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So a single 12-pin will pull power from a single 8-pin pci-e cable?

You are lucky, I am an electrician (plus electronics) and I did my research about wires and connectors wattage, very recently.
Its pair of wires (among molex pins in use ) this is designed to transfer 5A for 24/24 operation.
NVIDIA has the thought to use up to 30A from the new connector, but this is a planning ahead.
They are mentioning about a supplied adaptor (cables), this can use two 8Pin them able to deliver 15A its one.

According max specifications of a pair of wires among molex pin maximum current specifications, this is at 7A.
I do not think that they will push the envelope that far for now.
 
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So, they did this?

3427-back.jpg


With a cut in the PCB to make the card shorter.
 
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Don't bother watching the video, it's 8:16 of utter drivel with not a single mention of Ampere's cooler. The thumbnail that shows Ampere's cooling flow is 100% youtube clickbait. with just a couple of relvant seconds that could have just been a static image at ~2:32

Nvidia really are douchebags.
 
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PCB has a cutout, but there will be another PCB with VRM on it.
That cutout brings the rear fan closer keeping the cards length shorter.
 

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I fail to see the connection. If Nvidia patented the design, leaving us with a proprietary connector, that would be an Apple-worthy movement.
But designing a screw for 10 years doesn't seem to have anything to do with what we're looking at here.
Sure it does, in that both are marketing BS to rope in the gullible. If anyone knows of a bookmaker offering odds on third party Ampere cards with "traditional" air coolers completely whipping this overdesigned pile of nonsense for both noise and thermals, I'd like to put my life savings on it.
 

iO

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I can see a lot of ripped off 12pin connectors if it isn't somehow also supported by the fan shroud...
 

bug

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Sure it does, in that both are marketing BS to rope in the gullible. If anyone knows of a bookmaker offering odds on third party Ampere cards with "traditional" air coolers completely whipping this overdesigned pile of nonsense for both noise and thermals, I'd like to put my life savings on it.
Rope into what? Whoever want to buy this card will buy it regardless of the cooler used.

So a single 12-pin will pull power from a single 8-pin pci-e cable?
Nope. 2 8-pin -> 1 12-pin
Look up pictures, they should be all over the place by now.
 
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They seem to be very knowledgeable till you see their designs.
Better stick with blower design and price competitively, while not very good it's very versatile and can be use in all types of cases, and let people who really know what they are doing create good Colling solutions for their cards.
 
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Very reminiscent of Apple's style, the same kind of "we designed a screw for 10 years to make it perfect" type of thing.

Yep, it seems Nvidia has officially gone full mental.

Not sure I'm all in on this push they want. Quite sure I'm not, in fact. Nobody ever asked us if we wanted to sacrifice all the efficiency gains (in die size, power, etc.) of the last generations for RT. That better be something else... so far... is it?
 
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Nobody ever asked us if we wanted to sacrifice all the efficiency gains (in die size, power, etc.) of the last generations for RT
Where does that "for RT" come from, pretty please?

Did you just call "The Leather Man pissed off TSMC" "sacrifice for RT"??? :D :D :D
 
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2x 8-pin. 150 W max power for the card (+75 W slot) would just not be enough

I'm curious, what is your take on their reason to increase the TDP so heavily?
 
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Doubtless a nice piece of design, but necessitated by high power consumption. 8 layer PCB, back drilled VIAs, high compoent density/quality -> high BOM. They're explicit in the video that the way to get higher performance is through higher power use. Will be telling for efficiency.
 
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