AMD Radeon RX 9070 Series Sticks with Traditional 8-Pin Connectors

30 Dec 2024

AMD's Radeon RX 9070 GPUs are expected to use traditional 8-pin PCI-E connectors, offering board partners more design flexibility. Reports suggest the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, part of the RDNA 4 lineup, will have power requirements of around 260W for reference designs, with custom versions potentially reaching 330W.

AMD's Radeon RX 9070 GPUs are expected to use traditional 8-pin PCI-E connectors, offering board partners more design flexibility. Reports suggest the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, part of the RDNA 4 lineup, will have power requirements of around 260W for reference designs, with custom versions potentially reaching 330W.

Power Choices for AIBs

For most custom RX 9070 GPUs, manufacturers are expected to stick with the widely available 8-pin connectors. Each 8-pin connector delivers up to 150W, and paired with 75W from the PCI-E slot, they provide sufficient power for most designs. However, high-performance variants exceeding 300W may require additional connectors. Some AIBs may opt for the 12V-2×6 standard for flagship models to simplify cable management and future-proof their designs.

This approach is similar to AMD’s previous Radeon RX 7000 series, where ASRock included 12V-2×6 connectors in select models. It reflects AMD’s strategy of letting partners decide the best solution for their designs without enforcing specific standards.

Launch Details

The Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are expected to debut at CES 2025, with availability anticipated by late January 2025. Both models will feature 16GB of memory, aiming to balance performance and efficiency. AMD’s decision to focus on compatibility with existing power supplies could make these GPUs more accessible to a wider audience while still offering high-end performance for gamers and creators.