In a recent report by Benchlife, it was revealed that AMD will continue to use 8-pin power connectors for its upcoming Radeon RX 9070 series, despite the industry’s shift towards the newer 12V-2×6 (12VHWPR) connector. This decision comes as AMD plans to launch the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models by the end of January 20251.
Why Stick with 8-Pin Connectors?
The Radeon RX 9070 series is expected to have a Total Board Power (TBP) of around 260W for reference designs, with custom models potentially reaching up to 330W. AMD’s decision to stick with the 8-pin connectors is likely due to the familiarity and compatibility of these connectors with existing power supply units.
What About the New 12V-2×6 Connector?
While AMD is not mandating the use of the newer 12V-2×6 connector, it doesn’t mean that we won’t see any Radeon GPUs equipped with it. For instance, ASRock has already developed some RX 7000 series cards with the 12V-2×6 connector. This suggests that there might be custom variants of the RX 9070 series that could adopt the newer connector.
Launch Details and Expectations
The Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are expected to launch at the end of January 2025, just before the Lunar New Year. These GPUs will feature 16GB of memory and are anticipated to offer significant performance improvements over previous models.
Final Thoughts
AMD’s decision to stick with 8-pin power connectors for the RX 9070 series might be a strategic move to ensure compatibility and ease of use for consumers. However, the possibility of custom variants with the newer 12V-2×6 connector keeps the options open for enthusiasts looking for the latest technology.
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