Maddness:

I really can't wrap my head around this one. Why not just have 2×8pin plugs on the card instead.

Maddness:

I really can't wrap my head around this one. Why not just have 2×8pin plugs on the card instead.

Kaarme:

I find it hard to believe Nvidia would require a power connection no customer would possess. That would hurt the sales. But if they do, then the cards will be shipped with an adapter. That would potentially disturb cable management and certainly annoy those wanting tip-top aesthetics inside the PC, but at least the cards could be used. As a matter of fact, you'd think there would have been new model announcements from PSU makers if it really was a requirement. Seeing how it's not that long anymore until the cards hit the store shelves, the PSU makers would already want to start to distribute cables, such as the one shown in the article, to customers, assuming some better manufactrurers would offer such a service. It would be annoying for them to be bombarded with endless requests all at once. A video card early adopter will want to use the card from day one, not wait an extra week for a power cable.

PrMinisterGR:

This would make the cards look sexier for build pics etc, and it is also a genuinely useful connector (650W), for pretty much everything that might need that kind of power.

Kaarme:

Sure, but you just can't release a new PC component that can't be powered. A video card is useless without the rest of the PC. That's my problem with it, not the new connector, per se. Nvidia might silence its board partners, but they can't do anything about the myriad PSU manufacturers. Why haven't we been hearing anything from them? Aside from this single article. If the cards really came with such a connector, I'd expect PSU makers to be marketing new, compatible PSUs or cables that can be added to older modular models. Like I said, Nvidia could get around this with an adapter, but it wouldn't necessarily look good. Time will tell, as always.

alanm:

Keep in mind that modular PSUs do not have universal pci-e pin-outs for the 8-pin connectors on this cable. Whats NV going to do if 10 different PSU brands have 10 different 8-pin connectors? Adapter for each one?

Maddness:

The adapter would have to plug into the end of the cable that goes into the graphics card and not the PSU. As those pins have to adhere to a set layout.

alanm:

But the 'end of the cable' 8-pin that goes to the GPU is only capable of 150w. 2 of them not enough. So 3 cables adapter to feed the 12-pin connector? That would make sense.

nizzen:

8 pin cable is capable of 300w+. Evga classified 780ti with evbot drew 650w on water, and had 2x8pin connectors 😉 Certified and capable is 2 different things 🙂

alanm:

Then whats the point of the 12-pin?

RealNC:

Over a year ago, I joked about NVidia's choice of name. "Ampere" probably suggests the cards will result in an inflated electricity bill. Well, turned out the joke was not a joke 😛 If you buy one of these, you better also take the monthly cost of running it into account...