The 12-Pin Connector as a Space-Saving Work of Art
With the arrival of Ampere, NVIDIA introduced the GeForce RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 Founders Edition, featuring an avant-garde shaped design. This raised a question: where to place the bulky headers? When a circuit board designer runs out of space, boldness sometimes replaces practicality, a phenomenon some might call creative ruin. The problem was the absence of suitable, upright headers, not even from Molex in South Korea, a veteran connector producer since 1984, who presumably knows their craft (or perhaps, what to avoid).
Let’s examine the header of a GeForce RTX 3090 FE, noting the profiles of the 12 pins. Notably, there’s a cutout in the top row, serving a specific purpose, which I’ll address shortly.
First, look at Molex’s original Micro-Fit 3.0 design. The profiles match, but the header’s appearance is slightly different. I’ll spare you the dull drawings, leaving you with the 3D model. Note the header’s side guides, which require a matching Cable Plug but prevent misalignment. This part is aptly named the Micro-Fit 3.0 Right-Angle Header, 3.00mm Pitch, Dual Row, 12 Circuits, with Snap-in:
Although the pitch and terminal profiles align with Micro-Fit 3.0, the connector is distinct. The mentioned bridge prevents the adapter from fitting into a standard Micro-Fit 3.0 Header—a safety feature, as a Micro-Fit 3.0 Cable Plug wouldn’t fit into the NVIDIA header without guidance.
To this point, the modified Micro-Fit 3.0 Header is merely a design quirk for NVIDIA’s Founders Edition and its shaped design, nothing more. Yet, a feature can be spun from a shortfall, potentially immortalized in a standard. The CEM (PCI Express Card Electromechanical Specification) of the PCI SIG and the ATX standard are akin to Wikipedia for those who like to self-reference online. The key is to endow the connector with more inventive height. What comes next (initially labeled as mere playfulness) will soon be revealed. On to the next chapter…
- 1 - 2x EPS and over 700 watts? It could have been so easy!
- 2 - NVIDIA runs out of space with the Founders Edition
- 3 - GeForce RTX 3090 Ti: Playground for Ada and the 12VHPWR
- 4 - NVIDIA's mystic 12VHPWR adapter
- 5 - From 12VHPWR to 12V2x6 connector - user error de luxe?
- 6 - Flip headers, quality issues and a conclusion
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