Gigabyte has just extended its range of graphics cards featuring its new concealed power connector. The new Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super WindForce MAX OC 16G graphics card not only makes for neat cable tidying, by hiding the power connector on the back of the graphics card, but it also means you can plug the cable into the card in a straight line from the side, with no need to bend it.
There is an ever-present anxiety if you own the best graphics card, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, because the 16-pin power connection has a disturbing tendency to melt, particularly if the plug isn’t secured properly in the socket, which is sometimes the result of a bend putting pressure on the connection. However, with Gigabyte‘s straight connection on its WindForce MAX card design, you can hopefully reduce this risk.
Gigabyte first released this clever design on its GeForce RTX 4090 WindForce V2 24G, and this latest release sees the feature coming to Nvidia’s new RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU. Rather than sitting along the top edge of the card as normal, the power connection is hidden away behind one of the three 100mm fans, meaning there’s room to route a cable to the socket without bending it or putting undue pressure on the connection.
The dimensions of the card sit in line with those of the RTX 4090 model at 33.1 cm long, 13.6 cm tall, and 5.55 cm thick. This means the card itself will be difficult to fit into some mid-size cases. The PCB only makes up around two-thirds of the total length of the card, which gives Gigabyte room to move the power connection away from the edge of the cooler.
While there’s no definitive way to prove that this card layout prevents the 12VHPWR melting issue entirely, we’re glad to see Gigabyte innovating with cooler and PCB design, and the positioning of the connector will make for a tidier case interior as well.
If you’re not sure how to get a new pixel pusher into your gaming PC, we can show you how to install a graphics card with our step-by-step guide.