PCIe Gen 5.0 GPUs will feature one 16 pin power connector
Cable management is going to get easier next gen
Share this article...
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Gigabyte has just announced the new UD1000GM 5.0 power supply for PCIe Gen 5.0 GPUs. The new power connector has the very memorable 12VHPWR name or more easy-to-remember 16-pin power cable. In the new range of power supplies, this connector will replace any current 8-pin power connectors.
Currently, an 8-pin power connector can only deliver up to 150W each, and so with higher-end cards like a 3090 or custom 3080s, three of them are usually required. Nvidia’s founder edition cards already used a 12-pin connector and required an adapter to prepare for the next generation. With the increasing power consumption, new cards will utilize just one connector in the 16-pin power cable (12-pin plus four data pins). Just one of these cables can deliver 600W of power if needed, or up to 450W without the data cables.
The PCIe Gen 5.0 connector is the same Nvidia uses apart from the four data cables. These allow communication between the graphics card and the power supply. From this communication, the power supply can establish if it needs to provide more than 450W of power.
Will you need a new power supply for a PCIe 5.0 GPU?
In the press release Gigabyte mentions that traditional power supplies will require a three 8-pin to 16-pin adapter to support the new-gen graphics cards. It is unclear if this adapter will support the full 16-pin connector including the data cables. If it does there will be no limitation to provide 600W, if not then it will only do 450W.
So if the new GPUs come with an adapter you won’t require a new power supply to run them. As long as they are fully compatible with the PCI-SIG PCIe Gen5 spec and do provide the full 600W. Otherwise, you may be missing out on the full power of your card.
Overall this upgrade will mean a decrease in cables floating around in your case. With power-hungry cards requiring just one power connector and not three.
