PCIe 5.0 external power supply up to 600W, will be used for next-generation GPUs

Last week, there was news that Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which will be launched early next year, will use the GA102-350 core, with full specifications, that is, 10752 stream processors, equipped with 24GB of GDDR6X video memory, with a higher rate of 21 Gbps, and a new 2GB module to replace the existing 1GB module. Even more impressive is that it is as high as 450W, for which it is likely to use a new 16Pin external power interface to replace the previous 12Pin interface.

Recently, Igor'sLAB obtained the design information of the new power supply interface, confirming that there will be a new standard that may be applicable to all new graphics cards in 2022.

This 16-pin external power interface has 16 channels, including 12 for power supply and 4 for communication. However, this is not the Micro-Fit Molex standard, and it is a brand new design, called PCI-SIG 12VHPWR H+. In its standard definition, the spacing is smaller than the existing external power interface, from 4.2 mm to 3 mm, and the width of the entire interface is 18.85 mm. Although the volume is not small, it is still smaller than the dual 8-pin or triple 8-pin configuration, which will simplify the design of circuits and PCBs and save more space.

At present, relevant manufacturers have listed the specifications of this 16-pin external power interface, such as Amphenol. According to the introduction, the maximum current of each pin is 9.2A, which means the total current reaches 55.2A, and the theoretical maximum power reaches 662W, but the specification limits it to 600W. As for the specific purpose of the 4 channels for communication, it is still unclear whether it is a necessary configuration.

It is understood that the first graphics card to use a 16-pin external power interface will be the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, and there is no news yet on whether other graphics cards will adopt it. This may mean that the 12-pin external power interface used by Nvidia on the GeForce RTX 30 series will be eliminated.

See the figure below for detailed specifications: