NVIDIA's CEO, Jensen Huang, frequently emphasizes that Moore's Law is no longer applicable, and that upcoming generations of logic hardware will be larger, hotter, and more power-hungry. The next graphics architecture from NVIDIA, codenamed "Blackwell," is expected to deliver performance per watt improvements at the architecture level, along with enhancements at the node level due to the transition to the TSMC 4NP (4 nm-class) node. Despite these advancements, the successor to the current RTX 4090, the GeForce RTX 5090, is anticipated to be a power-hungry GPU, with rumors suggesting the need for two 16-pin power inputs.
According to TweakTown, the RTX 5090 may feature two 16-pin power connectors, allowing the card to potentially draw 1200 W continuously. While the total graphics power (TGP) of the GPU is not expected to be 1200 W, it could be close to or exceed 600 W, necessitating two connectors. Even if the TGP is exactly 600 W, NVIDIA may opt for two inputs to distribute the load evenly and enhance connector durability. It is probable that both connectors will support 600 W input to prevent confusion among users. The requirement for two 16-pin connectors may not be compatible with older PSU models, and NVIDIA might provide an adapter to convert two or three 8-pin PCIe power connectors to a 16-pin input.
Some PSU manufacturers are introducing high-wattage models with two native 12V-2x6 connectors, such as the Seasonic Prime PX-2200 W and the MSI MEG AI1600T PCIE5. These PSUs offer extreme power outputs and multiple 12V-2x6 connectors to support GPUs like the RTX 5090.
