If you've just picked yourself up a shiny new RTX 50 series card, or plan on shopping for one the second they go back in stock, don't ruin that upgrade with third-party cables, warns computer hardware company Zotac.
To clear the air about why some of this may be happening, Zotac put up a new blog post specifically focused on power connectors. As well as having a handy guide on the main difference between 12VHPWR and 12V-2X6 power connectors (the latter has shorter sense pins and longer power pins), it goes over new safety functions in its RTX 50 series cards and some advice on powering GPUs.
The first, and perhaps most notable, advice given is "Do not use third-party cables". It clarifies that you should either use power cables specifically with your PSU or power connector adapters that come with your GPU. "Do not use third-party cables, angled adapters, or other cable accessories that did not come with your PSU or GPU."
We asked a PSU expert about this problem last month, and he told us, "It is simple, DO NOT BUY adapters or extenders. They can all be dangerous." The problem isn't in the cable itself, as "All 12V-2x6 cables should be able to deliver 600W (or up to 55A) since these cables are electrically compatible for all vendors".
The logic instead applies to the fact that some PSUs don't have native 12V-2x6 socket support, opting for 2x 8-pin instead. Our PSU expert does say this worry doesn't extend to official adapters from Nvidia or Nvidia board partners. It seems like the general advice across the board here is to only use official cables recommended by official sellers when it comes to graphics cards with this level of power draw.
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Zotac also recommends using independent dedicated cables, rather than plugging both ends of a split cable into a Zotac power adapter, as well as recommending you leave the card alone once installed. This is all good practice for any of the RTX 50 and 40 series cards.
(Image credit: Zotac)
The final point Zotac makes is to make sure cables are seated properly, which is something any graphics card installation can get wrong, and the reason MSI put out yellow-tipped adapter cables.
Zotac's RTX 50 cards have a built-in safety light that shines red when the power cable is not fully inserted into the card and green when it is. Zotac's new blog post is a good PSA for any prospective owners and a pretty good selling point for its own 50 series cards, not that it needed one, of course, with how limited stock has been thus far.
James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.
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