The RTX 4090 flagship from Nvidia has no point beyond reimagining its broad range and broad scope, with a company having developed a customized connector in order to grasp a problem involving the PSU adapter cable.
Okay, here''s how it works: the RTX 4090 is widely used as a graphics card, and prospective purchasers must consider a variety of factors: not just the vast cost of the GPU, but also other features, such as having enough space to fit the thing in a PC case.
Now that may seem like a matter of getting a grip on your PC case against the dimensions of the RTX 4090 graphics card you intend to purchase, which is pretty long and wide, whichever way you dice it, but there''s also a possibility that you must use a power adapter.
The same applies to individuals who lack an ATX 3.0 power supply (16-pin), and who need to use an 8-pin to 16-pin adapter plus cable setup to obtain the GPU to work with their ATX 2.0 PSU. The problem being that the adapter cable can be extremely stiff indeed, so making it close to the board and then cutting it around to fit the inside of the case may be difficult in some cases.
This has resulted in several posts on Twitter (observed by Sebastian Castellanos (opens in new tab)) showing frustrated RTX 4090 owners who are incapable of removing the adapter without leaving off the side panel of their case. It''s not a terrible situation, as it leaves the PC exposed to dust and perhaps worse, vulnerable to a spillage of some nature might, or a thrown object gone astray as another example. (It also looks bad on top of that).
Step forward CableMod (as seen by Wccftech (opens in new tab)) with a 90-degree angled 16-pin connector (opens in new tab) that allows the adapter setup to fit snugly at a right angle, eliminating the stiff cable, causing a round issue, and allowing that side panel to be restored for affected users.
Analysis: A boat-load of considerations for a modern flagship
It''s good to see a solution come up to this one fairly quickly, although do not forget that you cant get the accessory just yet (it''s going on pre-order come the end of October).
This whole episode just highlights the difficulties of massive, power-sucking flagship GPUs, which leave consumers with a lot more to look ahead to than the simple eye-watering cost of the product.
There''s a growing range of things to consider, like having a powerful power supply to run the RTX 4090 (and your other components), fitting it in your case, ensuring the adaptor fits as we see here, as well as considering the thermals of the case with the heat the GPU emits. And of course, another possibility gremlin is the card sag the sheer heft of the RTX 4090 pulling down on the PCIe slot its installed in.
The latter issue is something a European graphics card manufacturer has recently discussed with its Gallardo RTX 4090, with a very simple solution: an integrated spirit level on the board to show if its staying level in the slot, or not. Before long, well have an entire niche industry dedicated to making sure high-end GPUs fit and work okay in your PC case (well, maybe not, but you get the point).