Nvidia's upcoming GeForce RTX 3080 and its fellow Ampere consumer GPUs are rumored to be so powerful graphics cards that they may require a new power connector.

Our sibling site Tom's Hardware has learned that the next generation of Nvidia graphics cards will require a new 12-pin PCIe connector capable of delivering up to 600W of power. There are also rumors that Ampere-based GeForce cards will require 400W of power.

In effect, this means that those eager to upgrade their gaming PCs to the new high-end GeForce cards may need a new power supply unit (PSU) with a new PCIe connector. Currently, GeForce RTX 20 series graphics cards use an 8-pin connector to power the card from the PSU.

Two 6-pin connectors can be combined to create a 12-pin connection. However, this would result in more cables from the PSU, making cable management a nightmare. More cables in the case also means more potential for restricted airflow, which can result in the PC running too hot and slowing performance.

However, according to Tom's Hardware sources, Nvidia will be requiring an entirely new 12-pin connector all together. This means that PC gamers will very likely need to get a new PSU, effectively forcing them to disassemble their PCs.

A technical illustration of the connection shows that it measures 19 x 14 x 8.35 mm, which is almost identical to two 6-pin connectors combined. However, since the pins of the illustrated connector have a new layout, combining two existing 6-pin connectors does not seem to solve this problem.

Even if this were not the case, the potential 400W power consumption of next-generation GeForce graphics cards means that a powerful PSU will be required. And those looking to upgrade their gaming PCs may have to get a new PSU again.

Tom's Hardware speculates that the single 12-pin cable may only be for Founders Edition GeForce cards and high-end third-party graphics cards, keeping cabling as minimal and efficient as possible We speculate that it is intended to keep cabling as minimal and efficient as possible. Other versions of Ampere-based GeForce cards may get by with two 6-pin connections, provided they can provide enough power to the GPU.

Since there is nothing official from Nvidia regarding the next generation of GeForce GPUs, we will have to wait and see if a major PC retrofit will be required or if they will simply be able to replace existing GeForce RTX graphics cards. Ampere-based GeForce graphics cards may be revealed around September, when Nvidia is expected to learn how much graphics firepower it can bring to the graphics world ahead of the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch.