AMD and Intel reportedly test 12V-2×6 power connectors for next-gen GPUs
AMD and Intel are both considering a move away from 8-pin GPU power
Intel and AMD have considered following in the footsteps of Nvidia by adopting the 12V-2×6 power standard for next-gen GPUs. Both GPU manufacturers have reportedly tested the standard against traditional 8-pin PCIe power connectors, finding that the older standard is more reliable.
The main draw of the 12V-2×6 standard is its ability to deliver up to 600 watts of power. Since neither AMD nor Intel are due to release an RTX 5090 competitor in 2025, they will probably stick to the traditional 8-pin standard for their next-gen GPUs. After all, the 16-pin 12V-2×6 standard has a poor reputation, mostly due to the flaws in the older 12VHPWR standard.
According to our information, the reason for this is that the 8-pin PCI Express power connector still behaves more reliably in the tests, there are hardly any problems with it during the load tests, i.e. it brings the usual security. In contrast, the 12V-2×6 power connector, while much improved over the 12VHPWR, is nearly as reliable as the old option at just under 300 watts.
We do not expect AMD or Intel’s next-gen GPUs to use the 12V-2×6 power standard. Both are unlikely to release GPUs that require more than two 8-pin power connectors. As such, the 12V-2×6 power standard makes little sense. By using traditional power connectors, PC builders will not need to upgrade their power supplies, and their testing has concluded that standard 8-pin connectors are more reliable.
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