Friday, February 28th 2025

Custom AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Appears Powered by 12V-2x6 Connector

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (51 Comments)
Days before releasing, Chinese leakers on Chiphell are showcasing a custom variant of AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 XT with what appears to be a 12V-2x6 power connector. The custom AIB model is Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT NITRO+, which features a triple-fan cooling configuration and a departure from Sapphire's older GPUs that used eight-pin power connectors. Despite proving to be problematic for NVIDIA, this power connector could do well with AMD's Navi 48 XT GPU SKU due to its power consumption envelope. With an entire GPU projected to use 304 W total board power, the 12V-2x6 connector could easily power this configuration without the need to overheat and possibly melt. If it manages to power 600 W TGP NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, then powering a custom Radeon RX 9070 XT shouldn't be an issue.

Even if the card experiences a heavy overclock, power limits will remain within a usable range so as not to cause any trouble. Sapphire's reason for ditching the older, reliable eight-pin power connectors is unknown, but the use of the new 12V-2x6 here isn't expected to be problematic either. Some previous VBIOS records in our GPU DB indicate that the GPU could boost the Navi 48 XT SKU to 2,520/2,518 MHz, which is about 120 MHz higher than the stock AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT boost clock.
Sources: Chiphell, via HXL on X

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51 Comments on Custom AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Appears Powered by 12V-2x6 Connector

#26
Kenjiro
CheeseballThis is actually the best part about this layout. Just one cable and it sinks toward the motherboard instead of coming out from the other directions. It should look seamless if cable management was done correctly. [...]
Many, many motherboards, especially expensive ones, has no space between VGA and mobo circuit board. Good luck to route cable correctly in these.
Posted on Reply
#27
Chomiq
Bomby569the connector and the cable are plastic, and that plate thing is impeding airflow, and the connector is stuck inside the card and the PCB, not sure any of that is a good idea
If a fan goes out for example, if can get very toasty
By that definition any connector should melt because they're often right next to fins of a heatsink with no direct airflow next to them. That doesn't happen though.


This was pulling 450W. 9700 XT is suppose to be 300W card (let's assume 350W because it's Nitro+). How is having a 600W rated connector on a 350W card with direct airflow over it suddenly problematic?
I understand the concerns with GPUs pulling upwards of 575W, with 450W it was still within margin of errors, but now people are afraid when GPU suppose to pull half of the rated power?
Posted on Reply
#28
Jtuck9
They must've incorporated some form of optical illusion in their design as it looks decidedly less brick like from a particular angle
Posted on Reply
#29
woll3
KenjiroMany, many motherboards, especially expensive ones, has no space between VGA and mobo circuit board. Good luck to route cable correctly in these.
Its gonna be longer than an atx board is wide, i could see it being "not particularly compatible" with some cases though.
Posted on Reply
#30
Bomby569
ChomiqBy that definition any connector should melt because they're often right next to fins of a heatsink with no direct airflow next to them. That doesn't happen though.


This was pulling 450W. 9700 XT is suppose to be 300W card (let's assume 350W because it's Nitro+). How is having a 600W rated connector on a 350W card with direct airflow over it suddenly problematic?
I understand the concerns with GPUs pulling upwards of 575W, with 450W it was still within margin of errors, but now people are afraid when GPU suppose to pull half of the rated power?
we can disagree but that honestly doesn't seem similar. This one is sandwiched between the PCB and the heatsink and really close to the heatsink (if not touching at all) and in the middle of the card)
Posted on Reply
#31
TheDeeGee
ChomiqHow hot do you expect that air to be? 200C?
Doesn't matter, point still stands as it's the worst location for any power connector.
Posted on Reply
#33
Bomby569
what a weird design, they make a flow through and then go out of their way to block it with a unnecessary cable in a weird place with a weird turn, and as if it wasn't enough they have a 2nd backplate ??!!! to i assume keep the cable in place.
:kookoo:
Posted on Reply
#34
Andreshoi
usinameHow you insert the cable under the backplate?
The backplate is 2 pieces. When you need to connect the powercables, you remove the top backplate (magnets) and insert your cable.
After that you put back the top backplate (again magnets) and the entire cable becomes invisible because it goes straith to the back of your case :)
Posted on Reply
#35
Jtuck9
Thanks for the link! I couldn't subscribe to their newsletter for whatever reason?!

Thinking that if I invest in something with a robust (overengineered?!) cooling solution that might negate the need for a couple of case fans and save me some money....
Posted on Reply
#36
MarkoB88
No Sapphire then 4 me, ill go with Gigabyte i have Gigabyte Windforce now and i really like the card
Posted on Reply
#37
Dragokar
ChomiqUpdates from videocardz:



330W on a 600W rated connector and it comes with an adapter.

Link to sapphire page:
www.sapphiretech.com/en/consumer/nitro-radeon-rx-9070-xt-16g-gddr6
That's going to be the first burned AMD card with that connector. I can ofc only speak for myself, but the angle and space is prone to be not fully connected, and I do believe we will see burns on the top end of the connector and card.
Posted on Reply
#38
Mysteoa
DragokarThat's going to be the first burned AMD card with that connector. I can ofc only speak for myself, but the angle and space is prone to be not fully connected, and I do believe we will see burns on the top end of the connector and card.
You mean, that a card that will probably pull between 300-400W on a cable rated for "600W" that is being actively cooled, will burn?
Posted on Reply
#39
Dragokar
MysteoaYou mean, that a card that will probably pull between 300-400W on a cable rated for "600W" that is being actively cooled, will burn?
Yes, due to the angle the connector is put on the board......it will seat perfect at the beginning, but I doubt that it will remain so over time. There is a recommendation about the angles for that connector, and I can't see that they can use that there. So yeah it is not about the wattage alone, but bad contact makes things hotter. ;)

It is just my opinion on daily use cases with PCs and the owners of them.....so yeah I do believe we're going to see trouble.
Posted on Reply
#40
Chrisy
Oh no, please no :eek:
Posted on Reply
#41
Mysteoa
DragokarYes, due to the angle the connector is put on the board......it will seat perfect at the beginning, but I doubt that it will remain so over time. There is a recommendation about the angles for that connector, and I can't see that they can use that there. So yeah it is not about the wattage alone, but bad contact makes things hotter. ;)

It is just my opinion on daily use cases with PCs and the owners of them.....so yeah I do believe we're going to see trouble.
As long as they have done their job on the power distribution with load balancing and doesn't combine the pins. It's not going to be an issue.
Posted on Reply
#42
Veseleil
These Sapphire's latest (couple of gens already) designs are pure form-over-function examples. Blocking the airflow for exactly what benefits? Bling-bling?
Posted on Reply
#43
_roman_
Bad decisions can ruin a brand reputation quite fast.
Posted on Reply
#44
Tek-Check
usinameHow you insert the cable under the backplate?
With your hands.
Posted on Reply
#45
Visible Noise
AMD fans should make sure their fire insurance is paid up.
Posted on Reply
#46
bitsandboots
Given the 40/50 series nvidia cards plug woes seems to have boiled down to bad circuit design, it would be a good opportunity for AMD and their board partners to prove if 12vhpwr can actually be used in a safe manner and put nvidia to shame. Because I don't want to be scared of a plug if it's not really the cause.
Posted on Reply
#47
wNotyarD
bitsandbootsGiven the 40/50 series nvidia cards plug woes seems to have boiled down to bad circuit design, it would be a good opportunity for AMD and their board partners to prove if 12vhpwr can actually be used in a safe manner and put nvidia to shame. Because I don't want to be scared of a plug if it's not really the cause.
Knowing Sapphire, it'll have at least fuses both at the power connector and on the PCIe finger. I don't know if they ever used shunt resistors, but have they ever needed them, though?
Posted on Reply
#48
Tek-Check
KenjiroMany, many motherboards, especially expensive ones, has no space between VGA and mobo circuit board. Good luck to route cable correctly in these.
Plenty of space behind


Cables can also go between those holes in the cover
The cover is not even necessary if someone does not like it
Posted on Reply
#49
Vayra86
AndreshoiThe backplate is 2 pieces. When you need to connect the powercables, you remove the top backplate (magnets) and insert your cable.
After that you put back the top backplate (again magnets) and the entire cable becomes invisible because it goes straith to the back of your case :)
Yeah so now its almost a lego kit just so they can hide a tiny connector and 5 cm of cable. Wooptiedoo, where can I sign

Utterly ridiculous design. Seriously. If the goal was to make cable move to back of case... Add a few CM of PCB to place those connectors on at a 90 degree angle facing the case interior and as a bonus you get to avoid bending that cable altogether. There. I didn't even get paid for it and it took all of 5 seconds to think up. Because what do you get now? A tiny, weak connector with thin cables that gets more pull on the left end of it, constantly, than it does on the right.
Posted on Reply
#50
Tek-Check
Visible NoiseAMD fans should make sure their fire insurance is paid up.
Take care of those expensive melting cables, missing ROPs and black screens on 5000 cards in the first place, then worry about the competitor. Thank you.
_roman_Bad decisions can ruin a brand reputation quite fast.
Indeed. Nvidia should have removed all those cards with missing ROPs before the embarrassing exposure by TechPowerUp.
KenjiroMany, many motherboards, especially expensive ones, has no space between VGA and mobo circuit board. Good luck to route cable correctly in these.
Use your imagination, and diagram provided.
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