Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT won't use 16-pin power
The Radeon RX 7800 XT and Radeon RX 7700 XT won't use the 16-pin power connector as originally planned, with AMD saying its caution reflects a commitment to user safety.
The Radeon RX 7800 XT and Radeon RX 7700 XT won't use the 16-pin power connector, with AMD saying the decision reflects its desire to avoid potential issues for end users. Speaking to PC Game Spotlight at the GDC 2023 show, senior VP and GM of the Graphics Business Unit Scott Herkelman explains that the decision not to use the new power connector reflects the company's commitment to user safety and satisfaction.
"We made a decision to remove the 16-pin connector," Herkelman says. "We're going to be very purposeful, and very clear, that it was our decision. It's not because of component availability or anything like that. It was our decision to not use it – we want to take ownership of any problems."
Herkelman says that, unlike Nvidia, AMD is not rushing to adopt the 16-pin connector, as the component has caused problems for the GeForce RTX 4090. Despite the revised 12V-2x6 power connector introduced by PCI-SIG, the company says it remains wary of adopting the component until the power issue is resolved and confidence is restored.
"We don't want to adopt it until we're ready to," Herkelman continues. "We're not going to adopt it until we're ready to. We've chosen to rely on standard 8-pin PCIe power connectors. They have more than enough power – they're 245W and 263W cards."
Despite the revised power connector, AMD has opted to rely on standard 8-pin PCIe power connectors for the Radeon RX 7800 XT and Radeon RX 7700 XT. However, the company says it remains open to using the 16-pin connector once the power issue is resolved and confidence is restored.
Ultimately, the decision not to use the 16-pin connector reflects AMD's commitment to user safety and satisfaction. The company says it will "be very purposeful and very clear" about its decision not to use the connector, and that it will "own" any issues that may arise as a result of the decision.
If you're an AMD graphics card enthusiast, you might want to check out our best graphics card list. There are some great options out there, including the best Radeon RX 7800 XT. We've also got a selection of best Radeon RX 7700 XT graphics card suggestions for you to browse through.
