In a recent post by NVIDIA, titled “The Remarkable Art and Science of Modern Graphics Card Design“, they teased the cooling design of their upcoming RTX 30 series graphics cards based on the new Ampere GPU. If you have seen the leak photos before, by now, you probably know how the upcoming NVIDIA card will look like. They are unique, unlike any other design before. On top of that, NVIDIA also confirmed the use of a new 12-pin PCIe power connector. Interestingly, it’s also positioned differently from the previous generations of graphics cards. More details below.
NVIDIA’s New Cooling Solution For RTX 30 Series Graphics Cards
In a video that NVIDIA shared, they mentioned that they need to move more air through the (GPU) system to get more cooling performance. They needed to remove the constraints to achieve the “perfect airflow”. And to do this, the company decided to change the PCB, move the fans, and change the software that’s controlling the fans.
NVIDIA also highlighted some of the changes they made in the design so that the upcoming RTX 30 series cards can “reach their maximum potential while remaining cool and quiet”. The changes include the following:
- Thermal: A new, airflow-optimized cooling solution, redesigned to overcome existing constraints and move more air through the system for maximum cooling efficiency
- Mechanical: A stronger mechanical structure, including a new low profile leaf spring that leaves room for a back cover
- Electrical: A compact electrical design, with a new 12-pin power connector that allows more space for components and cooling, and is compatible with existing power supplies via an included adapter
- Product Design: A no-compromise, cohesive design that embraces the revolutionary thermal solution while beautifully harmonizing each element of the graphics card
The New 12-Pin PCIe Connector
Aside from teasing us with how the airflow works and the cooling design of the upcoming RTX 30 series graphics card, NVIDIA confirms the use of a new 12-pin connector. This is no longer a surprise since we already saw the actual 12-pin connector thanks to HardwareLuxx.
The new 12-pin connector features a smaller and compact body but is capable of carrying more power compared to the 8-pin PCIe connector. It’s compatible with the 8-pin PCIe cable using an included adapter. So, this means that you don’t need to worry if your PSU doesn’t have a 12-pin PCI power connector. NVIDIA or it’s AIB partners will provide the necessary adapter.
Also, if you look at the 12-pin connector from the photo, it is positioned in an angled manner. It’s also in a standing or vertical position. There’s only one 12-pin power connector on the photo, so I am guessing it’s the RTX 3080. And perhaps the RTX 3090 will have two of this 12-pin connector. No wonder it’s a 3-slot graphics card.
It’s only a few days more and we will finally learn more about these new RTX 30 series graphics cards. NVIDIA is expected to announce them on an (online) event next week after the #UltimateCountdown reaches 00:00.
