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Thursday, September 22nd 2022

8-pin PCIe to ATX 12VHPWR Adapter Included with RTX 40-series Graphics Cards Has a Limited Service-Life of 30 Connect-Disconnect Cycles

by
btarunr
 Discuss (124 Comments)
PSUs with native 12+4 pin ATX 12VHPWR connectors are few and far between, which means some of the first adopters of the GeForce RTX 4090 "Ada" graphics cards will rely on the adapter cable that converts 8-pin PCIe power connectors into one 12VHPWR connector that plugs into the graphics card. Cards that stick to the baseline specs include adapters that convert three 8-pin PCIe connectors (for 450 W output that matches the RTX 4090 reference specs); whereas some premium overclocked RTX 4090 cards, such as the ZOTAC RTX 4090 AMP Extreme, include adapters that convert as many as four 8-pin PCIe to a 12VHPWR, maxing out its 600 W power delivery capability. The product page of the ZOTAC AMP Extreme has an interesting sentence describing this in-box adapter: "Limited service life with up to 30 connect / disconnects."

Apparently the adapter is only good for up to 30 connect/disconnect cycles safely, before you'll need another one. For most gamers who'll install the card and forget about it for years, this shouldn't be an issue. However, for overclockers and enthusiasts using the card on an open-air bench and who rely on a lot of moving cards around, this could be an irritant. Tech journalists (reviewers) swap graphics cards out a lot, too, but then they're likely to have several such adapters lying around from multiple samples, or a PSU with a native 12+4 pin connector.
Our best guess is that this is a mechanical limitation assessed by NVIDIA for the maximum number of times the adapter can handle connection cycles before its contacts begin to wear out, and its safety is compromised. If you look closely at the picture above, the adapter has an NVIDIA logo, which means NVIDIA is directly supplying this adapter to AIC partners to include with their custom-design cards (and not counting on them to develop their own adapters). The 12VHPWR connector may look diminutive, but it's capable of delivering not just 600 W continuously, but also handle 200% excursions (brief spikes in power draw), which mean 1200 W. This is a lot of current (12 V, 100 A, enough to crank an automobile), and so NVIDIA isn't taking any chances with safety.
Source: Wccftech

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124 Comments on 8-pin PCIe to ATX 12VHPWR Adapter Included with RTX 40-series Graphics Cards Has a Limited Service-Life of 30 Connect-Disconnect Cycles

#27
trsttte
kongaThis is an irresponsible article. 30 connection cycles is an industry standard and this rating does not make this any less safe than the PCIe connectors you've already been using. Proof: www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/0455860005_PCB_HEADERS.pdf

Ctrl+F for "mating cycles" in that document.
It's the typical industrial ass covering, but I think Zotac is more irresponsible by bringing that to a consumer product. USB-C has a service life of 10000 cycles for example
Posted on Reply
#28
Arkz
Completely normal phenomenon.
Posted on Reply
#29
konga
trsttteIt's the typical industrial ass covering, but I think Zotac is more irresponsible by bringing that to a consumer product. USB-C has a service life of 10000 cycles for example
My point is that these 30-cycle connectors are already in all of the consumer graphics cards you've been buying for the last 15 years. This is nothing new. These are power connectors designed to be used a fairly limited number of times, not USB cables.
Posted on Reply
#30
cvaldes
trsttteIt's the typical industrial ass covering, but I think Zotac is more irresponsible by bringing that to a consumer product. USB-C has a service life of 10000 cycles for example
Phew.

I'm glad to hear USB-C is more than 30 duty cycles seeing as how I plug in/disconnect my iPad three times a day on average. Very thoughtful of Apple to consider "extreme" users like me.

:):p:D
Posted on Reply
#31
zlobby
ArkzCompletely normal phenomenon.
30 cycles? Not great, not terrible. I've seen worse.
Posted on Reply
#32
meatwar
Cheers to EVGA... more and more we see their arguments...and they were right.
The world is ours, we have a brief passage on it...but we cannot give it to them and help on what they are trying to achieve...this company and many others around the world.
Posted on Reply
#33
jonnyGURU
Don't use a PSU with a 12VHPWR connector on the PSU and disconnect the power from the mini-fit HCS connector (which is rated at 100 cycles). Problem solved.
Posted on Reply
#34
natr0n
You can leave the adapter on the card always/forever and you should have no issues. Also dont be a savage.
Posted on Reply
#35
Blue4130
evernessinceGPU you should be replacing paste once per year.
This is ridiculous. What is your logic/reasoning /proof of this?
Posted on Reply
#36
A Computer Guy
evernessinceGPU you should be replacing paste once per year.
Thermal Grizzly has entered the chat and raises eyebrows...o_O
Posted on Reply
#37
mechtech
zlobbyEh, USB has a small plug cycle?
Compared to spec grade and hospital grade 120vac plugs which are in the 1000's maybe 10,000+

Yes.

I've seen crappy $ store usb cords wear in probably less than 100 i/o's Now USB A no problem, just squish the connector a bit for a good tight fit :)
Posted on Reply
#38
jonnyGURU
natr0nYou can leave the adapter on the card always/forever and you should have no issues. Also dont be a savage.
Yeah... if you use the adapter.
mechtechCompared to spec grade and hospital grade 120vac plugs which are in the 1000's maybe 10,000+

Yes.

I've seen crappy $ store usb cords wear in probably less than 100 i/o's Now USB A no problem, just squish the connector a bit for a good tight fit :)
Yeah. My kid doesn't get many "duty cycles" out of USB 3.0. They're usually broken in about three months time. Even with strain relief.
Posted on Reply
#39
AsRock
TPU addict
Limited service life with up to 30 connect / disconnects.

NVIDIA isn't taking any chances with safety.
HAHAHA, as if it does go wrong you have 0 proof it was our fault, you have been warned.
btarunrIt's about as much power as a travel hairdryer, which comes with a similar-sized 2-pin AC plug. It won't burn houses. Besides 12VHPWR is an ATX standard, NVIDIA only implemented it.
Terrible example, to start with you don't run a air dryer for long period of time. Unless your saying it's ok as long as i don't have my PC on playing a game more than 10-15 minutes.
Posted on Reply
#40
Unregistered
One issue I can see is when buying used, you don't know how many times the damn thing has been used.
This is ridiculous, especially given the price of these cards, one expects premium quality.
Posted on Edit | Reply
#41
jonnyGURU
Xex360One issue I can see is when buying used, you don't know how many times the damn thing has been used.
This is ridiculous, especially given the price of these cards, one expects premium quality.
Buy used PSU. Replace all cables. That's also actually good practice when buying all of these used PSUs dumped on the market left over from torn down mining rigs.
Posted on Reply
#42
chrcoluk
Does this apply to the adaptors supplied for 3000 series FE cards as well then as those are essentially the same thing?
Posted on Reply
#43
evernessince
Blue4130This is ridiculous. What is your logic/reasoning /proof of this?
Der8auer who owns Thermal Grizzly. It's called the pump out effect. The lower the viscosity of a paste the quicker the process is. Lower viscosity paste tends to perform better than that of high viscosity paste at the cost of increased pump out. Intel stock paste for example of a low performing high viscosity paste but doesn't need to be replaced frequently.

This is particularly important for high wattage components like GPUs as the larger heat load means the impact of pump out is more pronounced.
Posted on Reply
#44
jonnyGURU
evernessinceDer8auer who owns Thermal Grizzly. It's called the pump out effect. The lower the viscosity of a paste the quicker the process is. Lower viscosity paste tends to perform better than that of high viscosity paste at the cost of increased pump out. Intel stock paste for example of a low performing high viscosity paste but doesn't need to be replaced frequently.

This is particularly important for high wattage components like GPUs as the larger heat load means the impact of pump out is more pronounced.
Can confirm. Same thing happens with PSUs. The TIM used between MOSFETs and the heatsinks. Yet, when a PSU dies, it's always "U mSt HaVe BlowN a CAP" when odds are it's a MOSFET or schottky diode suffers thermal runaway.
Posted on Reply
#45
Bwaze
WCCFTECH:

"Update: We have confirmed with NVIDIA that the 30-cycle spec for the 16-pin connector is the same as it has been for the past 20+ years. The same 30-cycle spec exists for the standard PCIe/ATX 8-pin connector (aka mini-fit Molex). The same connector is used by AMD and all other GPU vendors too so all of those cards also share a 30-cycle life. So in short, nothing has changed for the RTX 40 GPU series."
Posted on Reply
#46
konga
This is what I've been saying. Everyone's freaking out over nothing.

@btarunr Please update the article.
Posted on Reply
#47
jonnyGURU
kongaThis is what I've been saying. Everyone's freaking out over nothing.

@btarunr Please update the article.
They won't. Drama gets hits.
Posted on Reply
#48
Unregistered
jonnyGURUBuy used PSU. Replace all cables. That's also actually good practice when buying all of these used PSUs dumped on the market left over from torn down mining rigs.
I would say buy anything miners used, they don't abuse their hardware unlike gamers.
One has to be careful with PSU cables, using the wrong cable could cause some damage.
BwazeWCCFTECH:

"Update: We have confirmed with NVIDIA that the 30-cycle spec for the 16-pin connector is the same as it has been for the past 20+ years. The same 30-cycle spec exists for the standard PCIe/ATX 8-pin connector (aka mini-fit Molex). The same connector is used by AMD and all other GPU vendors too so all of those cards also share a 30-cycle life. So in short, nothing has changed for the RTX 40 GPU series."
Wonder why didn't they just mention this, whoever decided to suddenly mention this wanted to create drama.
#49
Dirt Chip
hatI'm confused as to why it's a 12+4 connector. Why not just 16 pin? Have we seen any designs that use only the 12 pin? It seems like it would be cheaper and easier to manufacture to use only the 16 pin design... even if the card is only physically wired for 12 pins, just leave the 4 additional pins unpopulated.
The 4 pin doesn't deliver power, it just for feedback and power regulation. Like pwm just for the gpu so you need 4 and not just 1 as in fans.
Depend on the psu and gpu, the 4 pin "decide" to give a maximum of 300-600w
Posted on Reply
#50
Blue4130
evernessinceDer8auer who owns Thermal Grizzly. It's called the pump out effect. The lower the viscosity of a paste the quicker the process is. Lower viscosity paste tends to perform better than that of high viscosity paste at the cost of increased pump out. Intel stock paste for example of a low performing high viscosity paste but doesn't need to be replaced frequently.

This is particularly important for high wattage components like GPUs as the larger heat load means the impact of pump out is more pronounced.
So the guy selling you thermal paste says that you need to change it out yearly..... Hmmmmm. Ok.
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