Several hardware insiders seem to have caught wind of a new PCIe 5.0 power connector, also dubbed ‘H+’ encoded by PCI-SIG. Igor’s LAB found schematic images of the cables, which point to a new 12-pin connection and power supply of up to 600 watts.
Igor Walllossek suspects that the new connector will be introduced with the Founder’s Edition of the “RTX 3090 Ti/Super“, which Nvidia has yet to officially unveil. The new high-end card would probably draw a power of approximately 450 watts, for which two 8-pin connectors (each good for 150 watts) will not suffice. This more heavily equipped connector overcomes those obstacles. At 12 volts and 9.5 amps per pin, the connector can (in theory) carry through 662 watts, although the official specification tops out at 600 watts. Because only one connector for power is needed, the printed circuit boards for GPUs could also be simplified again.
In addition to the twelve pins for power supply, the cable also provided with four extra cords. It is not yet clear what exactly these thinner cables have for added value. A connector manufacturer who already started working on the specifications calls the four additional ports “signal pins”.
According to Walllossek, the 12-pin connection is not “the clear, new standard” for video cards for the time being, but a proprietary solution from Nvidia, specifically for the heaviest scion of GPUs. However, other schematic drawings would point to a possibility to eventually standardize this type of connector — possibly only after further adjustments.
Igor’s LAB does advise on cable mud higher standards. Not only is it possible that this specific connector will never be standardized, the higher power requirements and associated demand for high-quality metals also make it more difficult to solder your own cables and connectors together.
Source: Igor’s LAB
