Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 graphics cards are reportedly set to stick with eight-pin power connectors, rather than use the company’s new 12VHPWR connector, suggests a new leak. This would be a change from some of the company’s previous RTX 4060 Ti cards that did use the new connector. Meanwhile, the total power draw of the cards will be low enough that power supplies rated to just 650W will be sufficient to power them.
As likely contenders for spots on our best graphics card guide, when it comes to those seeking an entry-level GPU, the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 look set to be the go-to options for gamers seeking an affordable graphics card with a simple upgrade path. As such, Nvidia‘s apparent decision to remove the need for a new connector could be a welcome one.
The RTX 5060 power connector rumor comes originally from a Chinese media source called Brother Pan Talks Computers (BPTC), with the story being reported by regular GPU-related tech rumor site, Videocardz. BPTC is said to have connections to graphics card manufacturer, Zotac, that have allowed the leaker to access information about the upcoming cards.
They report in their video that all graphics cards based on the two GPUs will use standard eight-pin PCIe graphics card power connectors, which have been present in most PC power supplies for decades now. As such, users should have no problem stepping up from, say, an old GTX 1660 to the new RTX 5060. Similarly, the rumored need for these cards to only have a 650W power supply should make them viable upgrades for many old PCs.
That said, while the RTX 4060 Ti Founder Edition did use the 12VHPWR connector, the vast majority of partner cards made by the likes of Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and Zotac didn’t bother with the 12VHPWR connector for their RTX 4060 Ti cards. In fact, we even see many RTX 4070 cards choosing not to use the new connector, so it’s not a revelation that these new RTX 5000 cards perhaps won’t use the new connector.
Nvidia first ventured beyond standard PCIe 8-pin power connectors when it introduced its new 12-pin power socket with its Founders Edition RTX 3000 series cards, before then moving to the 16-pin 12VHPWR power connector used on its RTX 4000 series cards. However, the original version of this connector was infamously prone to overheating and melting when not installed correctly. This, combined with the general lack of need to move to the new connector has meant many card manufacturers have steered clear of using it unless needed, reserving them for the most powerful cards. Meanwhile, AMD graphics cards have ignored it completely.
One of the issues with the connector is that the small connection can easily be strained by the large cables connecting to it. Nvidia has sought to address this issue with its latest Founders Edition card designs, though. As we see in our RTX 5090 review and RTX 5080 review, those two cards use an angled connector that more naturally fits with the direction of how most cables approach the card.
For more on the trials and tribulations of the 12VHPWR connector, check out our coverage of melting RTX 4090 cards and the problems repair shops have faced fixing melted RTX 4090 cards. Meanwhile, for more on the tech that could be coming with the RTX 5060 GPUs when they arrive – the latest RTX 5060 release date rumor suggests the cards will arrive in March – check out our roundup of the full suite of RTX 5000 series cards.
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