Shorter PCBs are now possible, which means more tightly integrated circuits resulting in more advanced GPUs. Easier for the user to wire. Higher reliability because there are less connectors, therefore less points of failure. Supports higher wattages. The fact that the original revision had some flaws won't discredit any of these points.
Copper is still copper, smaller PCBs and the smaller footprint of this connector, as well as thightly integrated circuits, makes it more difficult to dissipate heat. Where you're seeing less points of failure before you had two connectors and if one failed the sense pins could do their job and the gpu would drop power to keep running, now it's a single point of a failure with just one connector.
You can say it's within spec, everything else it's an opinion based on nothing but personal preferences.
I don't have them right on hand to link, but the actual warranty claim numbers on the connector were eye-openingly low.
Perhaps another user can fill my intellectual void here.
True otherwise there would have been a massive recall and the entire thing dropped (no one at pcisig or nvidia is as passionate about this as people on forums, if it was hurting their wallets it would be changed), but that there were 2 or 3 revisions in so little time tells that it's still pretty high and shouldn't have been released when it was.
2x6 has been revised. Here's Aris intentionally abusing it with 660W on a load tester with 55 amps of current while yanking and bending it.
12V-2×6 Connector First Test - 660W & NOT Fully into the Socket!
This connector is safe. The rest is paranoia and FUD.
That's an interesting video but as someone else said, it doesn't say much about how the connector will behave when it gets mass produced, shipped, installed in boards, shipped again and then handled by
idiot users. Even on it's own it doesn't tell much, yes 45ºC is nothing, but what about when that thing is put in a basement at 40ºC instead of the ~20º inside the lab and turned on for months? And that doesn't even account for the gpu heat, how will the plastics handle that long term.
Can we blame the connector for that? Yes, yes we can, that's why safety margins, long term reliability and stress tests exist.
I fail to see how having to change your power supply that works perfectly fine otherwise, or having to use an adapter is not a downside.
You don't have to change your power supply, the connector is compatible with previous 8pin power supplies, just need to wire the sense pins to the correct places which bargain bin adapters will likely fail to do but reputable PSU manufacturers won't.
I confused it with Molex.