MSI's upcoming RTX 50-series GPUs to feature yellow-tipped 16-pin power adapters

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The yellow tip acts as a visual indicator to ensure the connector is installed properly.

MSI yellow tipped power connectors for RTX 50-series GPUs
(Image credit: MSI)

It seems that MSI is planning to bundle yellow-tipped 16-pin power adapters with its upcoming Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards, including the RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. This move aims to address issues related to power delivery and overheating, which plagued some users of previous-generation adapters. According to a report from VideoCardz, these adapters are designed to provide a visual guide, ensuring users fully insert the connectors into the GPU for safe operation.

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MSI Yellow Tipped Power Cables
(Image credit: MSI)

MSI GeForce RTX 5080 16G GAMING TRIO OC

The yellow-tipped design works as a precautionary measure: if the yellow section is still visible after insertion, the connector has not been seated properly. This simple yet effective tweak helps prevent the overheating and rare cases of melting observed with improperly connected adapters on the RTX 40-series GPUs. Such incidents underscored the need for better safety mechanisms, and MSI’s redesigned adapters are expected to enhance user confidence.

This isn't MSI’s first attempt to tackle connector issues. In 2023, the company launched its MAG GL series power supplies featuring similar yellow connectors on their 16-pin cables. At that time, MSI highlighted frequent user complaints about burnt power supply connectors when paired with high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090. MSI identified improperly connected cables as a primary cause and introduced the yellow-tipped design to help users avoid such problems. The company plans to expand this feature across its range of power supplies with native 16-pin cables, ensuring broader compatibility and safety.

The RTX 50-series GPUs, part of Nvidia's next-generation line-up, will reportedly continue to use the PCIe Gen 5 16-pin connector, also known as the 12VHPWR connector. While this connector supports high power levels, it has faced criticism for its durability and installation challenges. By bundling redesigned adapters, MSI aims to mitigate these concerns while ensuring compatibility with existing power supplies.

Similarly, Zotac introduced its own precautionary "Safety Light" feature for its upcoming Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs at CES this year to prevent issues with 16-pin power connectors The mechanism uses a built-in LED indicator on the GPU to alert users if the connector is not fully inserted, and the GPU will not power on until the cable is securely seated.

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Kunal Khullar
Kunal Khullar
News Contributor

Kunal Khullar is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware.  He is a long time technology journalist and reviewer specializing in PC components and peripherals, and welcomes any and every question around building a PC.

10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    The RTX 50-series GPUs, part of Nvidia's next-generation line-up, will reportedly continue to use the PCIe Gen 5 16-pin connector, also known as the 12VHPWR connector.

    My desire for an RTX 5000 series continues to diminish with every new report...
    Reply
  • ezst036
    Dongles?

    I do not think GPUs need to go through Apple-ification just because of bad choices made in regard to power delivery.
    Reply
  • Kashmir35
    I thought the new 12V-2x6 connector present on the RTX 50-series GPUs already solved all of that.
    Reply
  • jlake3
    ezst036 said:
    Dongles?

    I do not think GPUs need to go through Apple-ification just because of bad choices made in regard to power delivery.
    While I think 12VHPWR is poorly designed due to insufficient safety margins, a minimum bend radius that is unrealistic for the way people use cables in the real world, and poor tactile feedback/not tight enough locking leading to backout, adapters happen for every new connector. I've got Molex-to-SATA, 2xMolex-to-PCIe 6-pin, and 6-pin-to-8-pin adapters in my box of cables.

    They wanna sell new cards to people with old PSUs, and putting an adapter in the box means no surprise second trips that annoy buyers and (theoretically) they're using better adapters that don't generate support tickets instead of the cheapest thing they could find on the shadiest eBay store.
    Reply
  • 3tank
    Great- another banana bunch that I'll struggle to fit in my case
    Reply
  • Greg7579
    The article made a mistake in not mentioning if this 12VHPWR connector is the new 12V-2x6 version, which looks identical but has both longer and shorter pins where it counts. I'm sure this MSI cable has the 12V-2x6 version of the connector on the GPU end.

    And why not on both ends? Why the three dangles? All new PSUs are ATX 3.0 or 3.1 and have the 12VHPWR connector in the new 12V-2x6 version on the PSU. For those PSUs that do not (like Corsair) the PSU maker supplies the cables that work best with their PSU and have the new 12V-2x6 on the GPU end.

    I'm sure that 12VHPWR connector on the GPU end is a 12V-2x6 right?
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    Oh my gosh... They trying to make clear that melting connector will be user error!
    Reply
  • TJ Hooker
    Greg7579 said:
    The article made a mistake in not mentioning if this 12VHPWR connector is the new 12V-2x6 version, which looks identical but has both longer and shorter pins where it counts. I'm sure this MSI cable has the 12V-2x6 version of the connector on the GPU end.

    And why not on both ends? Why the three dangles? All new PSUs are ATX 3.0 or 3.1 and have the 12VHPWR connector in the new 12V-2x6 version on the PSU. For those PSUs that do not (like Corsair) the PSU maker supplies the cables that work best with their PSU and have the new 12V-2x6 on the GPU end.

    I'm sure that 12VHPWR connector on the GPU end is a 12V-2x6 right?
    There are no changes to the cable plug connector between 12VHPWR vs 12V-2x6, so that distinction isn't applicable here. Only the header on the graphics card (and PSU, if modular) changed.
    Reply
  • Greg7579
    TJ Hooker said:
    There are no changes to the cable plug connector between 12VHPWR vs 12V-2x6, so that distinction isn't applicable here. Only the header on the graphics card (and PSU, if modular) changed.
    TJ-I did not know that!!!! That is great info and I have for many months thought that the plug end on the cable also had a change and had this new 12V-2x6 update. But only the connectors on the PSU end and the GPU end have the change because that is where the pins are. That has been a censusing thing for me for a while. Thanks!

    But it is confusing because new Corsair PSUs that are ATX3.1 advertise that they have a 12V-2x6 cable. They show the picture of the cables and label the cable as 12V-2x6.
    Reply
  • TJ Hooker
    Greg7579 said:
    TJ-I did not know that!!!! That is great info and I have for many months thought that the plug end on the cable also had a change and had this new 12V-2x6 update. But only the connectors on the PSU end and the GPU end have the change because that is where the pins are. That has been a censusing thing for me for a while. Thanks!

    But it is confusing because new Corsair PSUs that are ATX3.1 advertise that they have a 12V-2x6 cable. They show the picture of the cables and label the cable as 12V-2x6.
    Oops, yeah the label is the one thing that changed for the cable plugs haha. So I guess advertising them as 12V-2x6 cables is technically correct. Also probably just easier for consumers to understand; most don't know or care what the new spec entails (practically nothing in this case), just that it meets the new spec.
    Reply