Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards were the first mainstream products to feature the 16-pin power connector. However, Nvidia might not stick to this format for the upcoming GeForce RTX 4070, according to a report.
The launch of the rumored GeForce RTX 4070 is expected in April. Wallossek's sources suggest that the GeForce RTX 4070 has two categories of graphics cards. The premium or factory-overclocked models are reportedly in the first category with a 225W TBP. They will likely sport one 16-pin power connector or two standard 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The second category encompasses the standard GeForce RTX 4070 models, adhering to a 200W TBP. Wallossek believes that the graphics cards in the second category will stick to a regular 8-pin PCIe power connector.
Due to more demanding power requirements, the 16-pin power connector has posed issues on the GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card. The power connector makes sense with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and higher SKUs. However, it is not required for the lower-clocked GeForce RTX 4070 and inferior models. Wallossek confirmed with his sources that the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce RTX 4060 would employ a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. However, an early leak suggests that the GeForce RTX 4060 may have a 115W TDP, consuming only a small amount of power. Although the 16-pin power connector is here to stay, the GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition and a few 225W custom models may be the last Ada-based graphics cards to use this connector for a while. Unless Nvidia launches a GeForce RTX 4080 Ti, GeForce RTX 4090 Ti, or the Titan RTX Ada, the 16-pin power connector may not be seen in the next generation of GeForce gaming graphics cards.
AMD hesitated to use the 16-pin power connector on the latest Radeon RX 7000-series graphics cards. However, graphics cards have become more power-hungry instead of consuming less power, so the 16-pin power connector may be seen on a Radeon graphics card in the future.
Possible 8-Pin Connectors for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Graphics Cards
