What is a 12VHPWR Connector? The High-Performance GPU Connector Replacing PCIe

The latest graphic cards are improving in performance every year, and as a result, the amount of power they require is also increasing.

Due to the fact that traditional PCIe connectors can no longer keep up with the power supply demands, a new power connector standard called 12VHPWR (16-pin) has been introduced.

This connector, which can stably supply up to 600W of power, is being adopted mainly in high-end GPUs such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series and later. It is expected to become an important factor when building or upgrading PCs in the future.

This article will explain in detail everything from the basics of the 12VHPWR connector to its adoption rate in GPUs and power supply units.

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About 12VHPWR

Let’s start by explaining the basics of 12VHPWR.

What is 12VHPWR (16-pin)?

12VHPWR (16-pin) is a new auxiliary power connector designed for the latest graphics cards and started to appear around 2022.

The name stands for 12 Volt High Power, so it is read as “12 Volt High Power Connector.” Since it has 16 pins, it is also simply called a 16-pin connector.

This connector is designed to supply the large amount of power required by high-performance GPUs. It can supply more power than the traditional 8-pin or 6-pin PCI Express connectors, and its specifications allow for a maximum supply of 600W, 450W, 300W, or 150W.

This makes it possible to provide stable power, especially during high-load gaming or graphic processing.

Although the standard supports these four power supply levels, considering that the 150W PCI Express connector was insufficient and led to the introduction of this connector, in practice, it is often used for 300W or more.

Also, compared to connecting multiple PCI Express connectors, using a single 12VHPWR connector makes cable management easier and allows for more efficient use of space inside the case.

The Need for 12VHPWR and Its Background

The background to the development of the 12VHPWR connector is the increasing power demand of recent graphics cards and other high-performance PCs (such as workstations and AI learning computers).

Especially for high-end GPUs like NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 40 series, more power is needed, so the 12VHPWR connector is adopted to supply this power safely and efficiently.

In addition, recent GPUs play an important role not only in gaming and video processing but also in fields such as AI, machine learning, and data analysis.

As a result, GPU performance has improved dramatically, and power consumption has increased accordingly.

High-performance GPUs have thousands to tens of thousands of cores and can process large amounts of data in parallel, but the higher the processing power, the higher the power consumption.

Especially for tasks that require advanced calculations, such as real-time rendering in 3D games or 3DCG and AI model training, GPU power demand becomes very high.

The 12VHPWR connector can handle higher current than the traditional 8-pin PCIe connector, so it can supply up to 600W of power.

This allows users to get higher performance, and improved power supply efficiency leads to benefits such as reduced heat generation and improved stability.

Furthermore, the 12VHPWR connector is designed to accommodate future increases in power demand, anticipating the power requirements that will come with the evolution of PC parts.

In this way, the 12VHPWR connector has become essential for supporting the latest high-end GPUs.

12VHPWR Pin Layout

The 12VHPWR connector consists of 16 pins, divided into two types:

• 12 power supply pins
• 4 signal pins

The power supply pins efficiently deliver the high power required by the graphics card.

The signal pins monitor the power supply status by communicating between the power supply unit and the graphics card, letting the power supply unit know how much power the graphics card needs.

This allows the power supply unit to adjust the power supply as needed, reducing the risk of overcurrent or overvoltage.

Differences from Traditional PCIe Connectors (Performance / Safety Improvements)

With the 12VHPWR connector, compared to traditional PCIe connectors, both the amount of power supplied and safety are improved thanks to the signal pins.

With traditional PCI Express connectors (8-pin, 6-pin), it has become difficult to efficiently supply the power required by the latest high-end GPUs.

An 8-pin PCIe connector can supply up to 150W, and including the 75W supplied by the PCIe slot itself, high-end GPUs require two or three PCIe connectors. (A 6-pin PCIe connector can supply up to 75W.)

In contrast, the 12VHPWR connector can supply up to 600W, so all the power can be delivered with a single cable.

With just one cable, the number of physical contacts is reduced, lowering the risk of connection errors (loose connections, poor contact, mixed connections), and the unique connector shape makes incorrect insertion less likely.

Additionally, the 12VHPWR is designed to handle higher voltage and current to improve power supply efficiency.

The connector pins are made of high-quality materials and structures, and because they have plenty of current capacity, the risk of heat generation is also reduced.

Furthermore, the signal pins allow the GPU and power supply unit to communicate “how much power supply is allowed,” preventing overcurrent supply with the wrong cable or improper power configuration, thus improving safety.

About Graphics Cards Supporting 12VHPWR

Let’s look at the adoption status of the new power standard in the latest graphics cards.

Full-Scale Adoption from GeForce RTX 40 Series

The 12VHPWR connector began to be adopted in a very limited number of GeForce RTX 3090 Ti products around April 2022, and has been fully adopted from the GeForce RTX 40 series.

In particular, high-end graphics cards in NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 40 and 50 series use this 12VHPWR connector.

Specifically, this includes models like the RTX 3090, 4070, 4080, 4090, 5070, 5080, and 5090.

However, not all products in these series necessarily use the 12VHPWR connector; some use multiple PCI Express connectors instead.

Therefore, be sure to check the specifications of each product to see which connector is used.

Adoption Rate of 12VHPWR

Here is a summary of the number and percentage of GPUs with and without 12VHPWR connectors by GPU chip.

Knowing the number and percentage of products helps understand the range of options available, which is useful when selecting parts.

This data is based on PC parts specification data from the Custom PC Tool.

In the RTX 40 series, the adoption rate of the 12VHPWR connector jumps sharply from the RTX 4070 SUPER and above, and in the RTX 50 series, from the 5070 and above.

With an adoption rate of 95–100%, it can be said that almost all of them use the 12VHPWR connector.

The 4070 SUPER requires 220W and the 5070 requires 250W of power supply, so from this grade onward, the 12VHPWR connector becomes the main choice.

If there is only one 8-pin PCIe connector, the maximum power supply including the PCIe slot is 225W.

Considering a safe power supply, at around 220W, two 8-pin PCIe connectors are needed.

In that case, it makes sense to use a graphics card with a 12VHPWR connector from the start.

Also, AMD Radeon and Intel Arc do not use the 12VHPWR connector.

For high-end GPUs from each company, the power requirement exceeds 220W, but for now, they seem to handle this by using two or more 8-pin PCIe connectors.

About Power Supply Units Supporting 12VHPWR

Let’s take a closer look at the supply capacity and adoption status of power supply units supporting 12VHPWR.

Power Supply Capacity (150W/300W/450W/600W)

The 12VHPWR connector is specified to supply a maximum of 150W, 300W, 450W, or 600W.

Therefore, it is necessary to check the TGP (Total Graphics Power) of the graphics card to be used, and make sure that the 12VHPWR wattage is sufficient, including the maximum 75W supplied from the PCIe slot.

However, while it is easy to tell whether a power supply unit supports 12VHPWR, the exact wattage supported is often not listed in the specifications.

Even though it is set at either 150W, 300W, 450W, or 600W, considering that the 150W 8-pin PCIe connector was insufficient and led to the introduction of this connector, it is often used for 300W or more.

Given that the 4070 SUPER requires 220W and the 5070 requires 250W, for most high-end GPUs, just checking for the presence of a 12VHPWR connector is usually enough without worrying too much about the wattage.

However, the RTX 4090 requires 450–480W and the RTX 5090 requires 575–600W, so if planning to use these high-end GPUs, it is best to choose a power supply unit that clearly states its 12VHPWR connector supports up to 600W.

Adoption Rate of 12VHPWR

Here is a summary of the number and percentage of power supply units with and without 12VHPWR connectors by power capacity.

Knowing the number and percentage of products helps understand the range of options available, which is useful when selecting parts.

This data is based on PC parts specification data from the Custom PC Tool.

Power supply units up to 700W rarely have a 12VHPWR connector.

Since the 12VHPWR connector can supply up to 600W, it cannot be adopted if the power supply capacity itself is low.

For example, if a 700W power supply unit delivers 600W to the GPU via 12VHPWR, less than 100W remains for other parts (CPU, motherboard, SSD, fans, etc.).

In reality, this is not enough to stably run both the GPU and the entire system, so having a 12VHPWR connector on a 700W power supply unit is not very meaningful and may be risky.

If the 12VHPWR connector is limited to 300W, the system as a whole can allow up to 400W, which might make sense. However, in that case, the cost performance of the power supply unit in terms of price and capacity becomes worse due to increased costs for cable quality, circuitry, and certification compared to PCIe connectors.

For power supply units in the 500W–700W range, cost performance is often a priority, so there is a background that makes it difficult to adopt the 12VHPWR connector.

Therefore, for those who want a power supply unit with a 12VHPWR connector, it is recommended to choose from 850W, 1000W, or 1200W units, which have many products and a high adoption rate of about 50%, so the options are not too limited.

If the options are too limited, it may not be possible to choose other desired specifications or features.

Check the Specifications of Power Supply Units with 12VHPWR

If a 12VHPWR connector is needed, always check the specifications to make sure it is included in the power supply unit.

Since this connector has only recently become popular, whether or not it is included varies clearly depending on the power supply unit. If chosen carelessly, it may turn out that the 12VHPWR connector is not included.

Until now, GPUs have been powered by PCIe connectors, so most power supply units come with PCIe connectors.

Most power supply units generally come with about 3–5 6+2 pin connectors.

Cheap power supply units may only have one 6+2 pin connector, which is not enough for high-end GPUs (and often the power capacity itself is insufficient), but most have enough 6+2 pin connectors to cover a wide range.

On the other hand, the 12VHPWR connector is a new connector that is only used for high-end GPUs, so it is often not included.

As shown in the adoption rate table above, only about 30–40% of all power supply units have it.

If a PCIe connector is needed, the number of connectors may be an issue, but most power supply units have them, so any unit can usually be chosen.

However, since the 12VHPWR connector is still not widely included, choosing a power supply unit without checking may result in not having a 12VHPWR connector, so be sure to check the specifications in advance.

Summary: 12VHPWR May Become the Standard in the Future!

This article explained the basics of the 12VHPWR connector, its safety, and its adoption rate in GPUs and power supply units.

Here is a summary of the key points again.

As graphics cards have become more powerful in recent years, the traditional PCIe connector is reaching its limit in terms of power supply.

The 12VHPWR connector, which has emerged in this context, enables a large power supply of up to 600W with a single cable, simplifying wiring and improving safety.

In particular, it is being adopted in high-end GPUs such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 and 50 series, and the range of compatible power supply units is gradually expanding.

In the future, to keep up with further advances in GPU performance, the 12VHPWR connector is expected to become a standard in the PC parts industry.

Therefore, when building or upgrading a high-end custom PC in the future, it is a good idea to consider using a GPU and power supply unit that support 12VHPWR.

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