Everything indicated that AMD was going to use a new connector for its graphics cards, the 12VHPWR, due to the problems that the current one was generating in them. Reports of overheating that in many cases caused it to burn, even melting.
But it seems that there has been a last-minute twist, and for the moment the company has backed down and will continue with the current connector, for the moment, without ruling out the change to 12VHPWR in the future, but not now.
AMD gives up the 12VHPWR
This measure had been adopted due to problems with the current connector, which sometimes melted, causing problems with the graphics card or even damaging it. We don’t know the reason, but currently the number of reports of this bug has been reduced. It is likely that some patch or update produced a lower temperature in operation and thus prevent it from burning. Whatever the reason, AMD has decided for now to continue with the current one.
It was Scott Herkleman, senior vice president and general manager of AMD’s Graphics Business Unit who revealed interest in using the new 12VHPWR connector for their RX 7800 and RX 7700 series.
Herkelman explained that AMD wanted to make sure that the gaming community felt comfortable and safe with the new connector before implementing it in their products and that they did not want to test it for now, but that they do not rule out that it will be incorporated in future releases.
In an interview with Club386, the following was asked and answered:
Club386: Still no sign of 12VHPWR on any Radeon graphics card. Is this a burning issue for you?
Scott Herkleman: Specifically, for the 7900 series, and even 7600, we didn’t plan for the new power cord, but 7800 and 7700 did have a plan for it. We removed it, and that was an intentional removal. You shouldn’t blame the end users for the problems you have. You should spot and own any issues, just like we did with the steam chamber issue. He was all over social media because he felt it was AMD’s problem and he was going to own it.
Until this power issue is cleaned up and there’s good confidence that it’s working properly for end users, that’s where you’ll start to see us incorporate it into our planning. The ability for someone to say it’s an end user’s fault is kind of weird for AMD and definitely weird for me.
This new connector has a special security system, preventing it from coming into operation if it is not perfectly connected, something that was what caused the current one to burn.
For now we do not have new reports on errors in the current one, we hope that it continues to be so, and that the next buyers of the RX 7800 and RX 7700 series as well as AMD, do not regret not having changed it. They are not exactly cheap to have this type of failure, especially in the connector.
