RTX 4xxx and 12VHPWR Cable Guidance
In the wake of recent announcements of new high-performance graphic cards requiring 12VHPWR connectors, below is a summary of the most important points regarding power supplies and the Seasonic 12VHPWR cable:
Power requirements as per the VGA card manufacturer’s recommendations:
- RTX 4090: TGP 450 W – Recommended power supply: 850 W (ATX 2.x and above)
- RTX 4080: TGP 320 W – Recommended power supply: 750 W (ATX 2.x and above)
- RTX 4070 Ti: TGP 285 W – Recommended power supply: 700 W (ATX 2.x and above)
For more information regarding the specifications of the new RTX 40 Series graphic cards, please visit: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/geforce-graphics-cards/5/501736/geforce-rtx-40-series-power-specifications/.
Seasonic 12VHPWR cable specifications
- 12VHPWR connector (GPU side) to 2x 8-pin PCIe connectors (PSU side)
- Maximum 600 W rated power
- 16 AWG (American Wire Gauge) size
- HCS (Hard Current System) terminals with 94V-0 plastic material for 8-pin housing
- Power supply requirement: 650 W and above*
- Compatibility: Seasonic PRIME (all series), Seasonic FOCUS Series (except FOCUS Gold or GM), Seasonic Platinum Series (XP2/XP3), Seasonic X-Series (KM3/XM2)**
- No risk of potential overcurrent/overpower issues with the 12VHPWR connector
- Designed for a lifetime of 30 mating cycles, a normal standard for connectors
- An explanation on why a 600W cable: https://hwbusters.com/psus/12vhpwr-connector-cable-psus-size-watt-does-matter/
*Please follow the recommendations of your VGA card manufacturer for the minimum power requirement.
**Please make sure to have 2 free PCIe connectors available on your modular power supply before using the Seasonic 12VHPWR cable.
Recommendation on how to use our 12VHPWR cable
- BOTH 8-pin connectors must be plugged in at all times to your power supply.
- All connectors must be correctly INSERTED, CLICK-LOCKED and TIGHT to avoid issue. (See here)
- DO NOT bend the cable in any direction once it is plugged into place.
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DO NOT bend or apply force to the cable too close to the connector.
Proper usage of the Seasonic 12VHPWR cable
- Please watch the video on the NVIDIA RTX 4090 connector testing made by Aris from Hardware Busters: https://youtu.be/jNreBLVP6NU
- While having a smaller form factor, the 12VHPWR cable contains more wires than previous PCIe connectors, leading to smaller tolerance in terms of how far the cable can be bent. Please handle the cable carefully and refer to the illustration below on the proper installation of the cable.
Note: It is recommended to bend the cable prior to plugging it in.
We do understand that there may be a need to bend the cables in order to fit them into the case. If this necessity arises then this must be done following below recommendations:
- Disconnect the 12VHPWR cable from the power supply and the GPU card.
- Carefully use a gentle heat source (such as a hair dryer) to carefully heat the area of the cable where you wish to make the bend.
- Carefully insert the connectors into the power supply and the GPU.
- Make sure the connectors are properly seated and the latch on the connectors is engaged and locked into place with a click.
- It is very important that after the connectors are properly in place, not to bend the cables or exert any unnecessary force on the connectors anymore, either at the power supply or at the GPU end.
We do understand that there may be a need to bend the cables in order to fit them into the case. If this necessity arises then this must be done following below recommendations: