according to reports Wccftech, Asus is working on a concept design for a GeForce RTX 40 series (Ada Lovelace) graphics card that doesn’t require a power connector for external power. Instead, vendors have designed their own slots that deliver up to 600W of power.
The 16-pin power connector (12VHPWR) made a lot of headlines last year as some GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card power adapters melted. Unfortunately, a new case of a 16-pin meltdown surfaced a week ago, so the issue is ongoing. Nvidia attributed this issue to the user’s error as in some scenarios he was not attaching the 16 pin power connector correctly. Unfortunately, ASUS’ design doesn’t allow the user element to be completely removed from the equation. Still, with the 16-pin power connector on the motherboard instead of the graphics card, you have more freedom over the power cable, which minimizes the chances of it happening.
The GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon is the first prototype to feature a connectorless design. However, the branding is not final yet, so the retail product may have a different name. At first glance, the GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon looks like a regular 2.3 slot graphics card. However, a closer look reveals that there is no PCIe power connector. Instead, Asus implemented its own connector similar to his PCIe x1 connector. However, it has the same maximum power delivery of 600 W as the 16-pin power connector. Asus has named this connector ‘GC_HPWR’ for now, but the company says it will have an official name at launch.
Asus isn’t the first vendor to put a custom connector on their graphics card to supply power. For example, AMD made several Radeon Pro graphics cards for Apple that use the latter’s MPX (Mac Pro eXpansion) form factor. However, Asus’ custom power connector doesn’t have an official name yet, but it won’t be as long as Apple’s implementation.
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Asus demoed the GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon alongside the TUF Gaming Z790 BTF, a motherboard with connectors on the back. The design is based on the DIY-APE standard. His GC_HPWR connector on the motherboard basically acts as a pass-through for the 16-pin power connector since it needs to be powered from somewhere. However, Asus has gone a step further and added three 8-pin PCIe power connectors to the mix. Therefore, the consumer can choose either a 3-cable solution or a 16-pin alternative solution. Although there is a special GC_HPWR connector on the motherboard, its use is not restricted. Consumers can use regular graphics cards on Asus motherboards.
Asus’ BTF motherboards have so far been limited to the Chinese market. However, the company said that TUF Gaming Z790 BTF and GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon will hit the global market. Pricing is unknown, but Asus acknowledged that the added cost of moving the connector to the back of the motherboard makes it slightly more expensive. Needless to say, the consumer will have to shell out more money to purchase a case designed for his BTF motherboard from Asus.
In the meantime, the GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon will be kept within Asus’ ecosystem. Unfortunately, the brand has not disclosed whether it will open its own designs to other motherboard vendors. More importantly, though, redesigning existing motherboards and graphics cards to meet the standard would require additional costs and manpower, so would other manufacturers be willing to jump on the new designs? ? There is also the risk that the design will not come to fruition.?
