GIGABYTE redesigns its RTX 4090 to change the position of the power connector
Based on what appear to be new promotional images of its graphics cards, Gigabyte has changed the design of its RTX 4090 WindForce graphics card. In these redesigns, the position of the problematic 16-pin 12VHPWR power connector has been modified . Twitter leaker @Harukaze5719 noted that Gigabyte has quietly introduced a V2 iteration of the RTX 4090 WindForce design, and the change can be seen in the leaked images.
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 WindForce V2 design shows that the power cable opening extends for about a third of the length of the triple-fan air cooler. One section of the product page states that the design " uses an extended heatsink ."
GIGABYTE decides to change the RTX 4090 to avoid connector problems
The 12V HPWR power connector is visible in the recess of this design , with the socket facing the front of the PC if it were in a standard tower. This position offers some advantages for cable management, and with a cable length of 100 mm or more, any bending, twisting, or shearing of the cable near the PCB connector should be avoided during installation. Finally, the third fan blows air through slots that could help cool the connector.
When comparing two RTX 4090 WindForce graphics cards, Tom's Hardware found them to be very similar, running at NVIDIA's reference clock speeds for both GPU and memory. The WindForce V2 appears considerably smaller, and the new model would benefit from having drop protection in the box. This is because there have been reports of large graphics cards bending under their own weight and being damaged . It also incorporates an HDMI 2.1a connector, a slight improvement over HDMI 2.1 due to its compatibility with source-based tone mapping.
New Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 WindForce V2 designs have also been seen in circulation. Harukaze5719's image appears to have been found on a Chinese tech chat site.
