The RTX 3090 Ti has been released for some time, and according to the previous debut review data, the top performance of the RTX 3090 Ti is beyond doubt. Due to space limitations, the detailed explanation of some new features of the RTX 3090 Ti on the first test could not be expanded in detail.
Today we are going to talk about the new interface that was first launched on the RTX 3090 Ti - the 12VHPWR power supply interface.
12VHPWR power supply interface
Speaking of the power supply interface, as the "power" source of the current independent graphics card, let's first understand the overall situation of the current external power supply interface of the graphics card.
Taking the RTX 30 series as an example, NV's own public graphics card and AIC manufacturer's non-public graphics card, although everyone uses the same core, but the external power supply interface is completely two-level differentiation, the public version is equipped with Micro-Fit 3.0 12-pin interface. The full name of this interface is "Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 12-pin", which can be said to be the prototype of the 12VHPWR interface, which can provide up to 600W of power consumption, so that the public version from RTX 3060 to RTX 3090, a Micro-Fit 12-pin interface can meet the power requirements of the whole card.
Micro-Fit 12-pin interface Image source: techpowerup
Needless to say, a single interface to meet 600W power consumption, Micro-Fit 12-pin still looks quite practical, an interface can meet the power consumption needs of a flagship card, this interface was only NV's public graphics card at that time, and there is no corresponding module line directly connected to the power supply, so it is necessary to use a Micro-Fit 3.0 12-pin to PCIe 8Pin adapter cable to use.
PCIe 8Pin power supply interface
From an afterthought, the NV's advance configuration of the Micro-Fit 12-pin interface is clearly a standard layout for the new power supply. However, Intel did not follow up in time to introduce new power specifications, plus Micro-Fit 12-pin is only NV public card for their own use, not implemented to non-public graphics cards, so the 30 series of this generation in addition to RTX 3090 Ti, non-public cards are continuing to use the 8Pin/6Pin PCIe power supply interface.
"More and more" power supply interface
If you don't use the new interface, how do you distribute the power interface to the graphics card?
The graphics card is equipped with a PCIe power supply interface, which will consider two factors: one is the power consumption of the graphics card, and the other is the power supply capacity of the external interface. Taking the currently widely used PCIe 8Pin interface as an example, the PCIe 8Pin interface is connected to a 12V voltage, and the theoretical maximum power is a current that can run to 24A, that is, the total power of 288W.
PCIe 6Pin/8Pin interface Image source: techpowerup
However, according to the PCI Express specification given by PCI-SIG, the interface power of the specification is much less than this value, mainly considering the interface terminals and the current loss generated by heat generation, so that the interface can not always maintain such a high power.
Therefore, in the PCI Express specification, the maximum power supply of the PCIe 8Pin power supply interface is limited to 150W, and the maximum power supply power of the 6Pin PCIe power supply interface is 75W. In the case of ideal power supply, if the graphics card is equipped with a PCIe 8Pin interface, with the motherboard PCIe x16 slot with its own 75W power supply, the theory can support 150W + 75W = 225W of power, that is, can drive the default state RTX 3070.
Why is it "default state"? Because in the VBIOS settings of most non-public graphics cards, the power wall in the default state is usually the same as the standard TDP of the graphics card, if it is an overclocked graphics card, then the power wall setting will be higher, 225W is obviously not enough, so most overclockable RTX 3070 will be equipped with a dual PCIe 8Pin interface.
RTX 3080 Ti with power consumption settings up to 450W
If it is a flagship card with higher power consumption, like RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3090 that can give 400W power consumption, two 8Pin plus PCIe comes with its own power supply, the theoretical power is 375W, obviously it can't move, so the manufacturer adds a PCIe 8Pin interface to the flagship card, and 3 PCIe 8Pin power supply interfaces are basically the standard of the flagship card.
影驰RTX 3080 Ti Hof Extreme
In the face of the graphics card power consumption continues to rise, in the graphics card has been increasing the power supply interface is obviously not the way, there are rumors that the next generation of RTX flagship graphics card can reach the highest 600W TDP, then to the next generation, and then the next generation... If there is no more efficient power supply scheme, I am afraid that the future graphics card will be filled with a row of PCIe 8Pin power supply lines, which will affect the user's use efficiency and appear impractical.
ATX 3.0 Specification: Defines a new standard for future PCIe hardware powering
Not only graphics cards, but also high-performance hardware is waiting for new power supply specifications as the power of the whole machine hardware increases. On the eve of the sale of the RTX 3090 Ti, Intel officially released the ATX 3.0 and ATX12VO 2.0 power specifications, and the 12VHPWR interface for the new generation of PCIe hardware devices was officially unveiled. The RTX 3090 Ti, which came to the shelves later, was one of the first products to be used with the new interface.
12VHPWR interface
Previously, NVIDIA launched the Micro-Fit 12-pin interface, only from the perspective of its own products to promote, and did not use more non-public graphics cards used by players for application, about the use of PCIe 8Pin or replaced by Micro-Fit 12-pin interface, has also caused a lot of discussion before.
The introduction of the new specification will unify the future graphics card power supply interface, which means that whether it is NV's own public version or non-public graphics card will be equipped with the new specification of the 12VHPWR interface.
12VHPWR interface pin definition
The new interface uses 12 power supply pins, of which 1-6 pins are 12V voltage inputs and 7-12 pins are grounded, which is basically the same as the pin definition of the Micro-Fit 12-pin (the adapter cable of the Micro-Fit 12-pin can be used for the 12VHPWR interface).
In addition, four pins have been added above the 12 pins, defining four sideband signals to communicate with the PCIe device, with functions including sending an available power indication signal, a power good status indication, and a connection status indication to the device.
According to the specification, when the PINs of SENSE0/SENSE1 are grounded, the maximum power consumption can reach 600W. With the access to a power supply that complies with the ATX 3.0 specification, even future flagship cards can meet the high power of 600W with a single interface.
The correct posture for the RTX3090Ti: ATX3.0 power supply
So when will the new power supply come? According to the news disclosure, power supply manufacturers are expected to launch power supply products based on new specifications within the year, and we will soon see new products on the market.
There may be students to ask: the power supply in my hand can still fight for another five years, the new interface directly with the adapter cable is good, where is the significance of the power supply replacement?
Taking the RTX 3090 Ti as an example, if the existing power supply is used, it can only be connected externally with the included 3xPCIe 8Pin adapter cable, then the theoretical maximum power can only reach 450W (the actual will not be achieved, there will be losses using the adapter line), plus the PCIe's own power supply can not meet the remaining power.
Then, on some graphics cards with more aggressive performance release (480W and above), the graphics card may be fully loaded with insufficient power, resulting in a dead shutdown.
3PCIe 8Pin to 12VHPWR adapter cable
As the saying goes, if you want a horse to run, how can you not give the horse grass? So the best way to get the best performance out of the RTX 3090 Ti is to replace the new power supply based on the ATX 3.0 standard.
Although everyone is ridiculing the high power consumption of the RTX 3090 Ti "meter reversal", it is undeniable that the future higher performance graphics card needs more transistors and specifications, and the power consumption will definitely rise, and the birth of 12VHPWR is to cater to such an era trend. On the road ahead, what new changes will occur in PCIe 6.0 and 7.0 graphics cards, let time witness it.