Just when you think the infamous 12VHPWR/12V2x6 connector couldn't have any more problems than it already does... it does. Igor's Lab reports that at least one 12V2x6 adapter he received with an RTX 4080 Super third-party card was unable to lock in place, which could lead to serious power delivery issues with their host graphics cards. Thankfully, the issue is specifically related to this particular adapter and not the connectors in general. However, it's a potentially serious problem for gamers and professionals who need to run the adapter due to compatibility restraints.
Igor's Lab determined the root cause of the issue, and says the PCI-SIG specifications for the 12V2x6 connector do not specify the exact dimensions of the connector itself, leaving cable manufacturers to do whatever they want. PCI-SIG specifies the header length, width, and height. Apparently, at least one manufacturer who builds Nvidia's 12V2x6 adapters messed up badly in the quality control department, potentially leading to some batches being defective — or at least, Igor received a defective adapter with one card.
Igor's Lab noticed a problem with this particular card during testing. The adapter came from an unnamed graphics card Igor's Lab was using for testing purposes — RTX 4080 Super AIB partner card of some kind. Igor's Lab noticed the adapter didn't "click" into the 16-pin socket, even when fully inserted. Igor then decided to dig into the issue to determine what was going on, checking a used 12V2x6 adapter from an RTX 4080 Founders Edition that was known to be working.
Igor tested both adapters by plugging them in multiple times into an MSI RTX 40 series graphics card. The older 12V2x6 connector worked flawlessly, creating a very audible click when inserted fully into the 16-pin port. However, the faulty 12V2x6 adapter did not create an audible click when fully inserted. Worse, Igor was able to pull the connector out relatively easily because the connector was unable to lock into place.
Igor was eventually able to get the adapter to click in, but only after 15 to 20 insertions with multiple RTX 40-series graphics cards. Upon further investigation, Igor discovered the faulty power adapter came with over-coated pins, causing the pins to jut out too much. A typical 16-pin reportedly comes with a layer of tin measuring 1.5 µm thick, on top of a layer of nickel that is around 2 µm thick. Those two layers overlap pure electrolytic copper inside. However, the nickel coating on the defective adapter was much larger than what it was supposed to be, preventing the connector from locking into place.
This is a serious problem that could end in catastrophe for some users if the problem goes unnoticed for a lengthy period. Thankfully the issue is very easy to detect. Any cable or adapter you plug into a 16-pin graphics card should end with an audible click, signifying that the connector has locked into place. If there is no audible click, there is a very good chance the connector is faulty and the adapter needs to be replaced.
It's unclear how widespread this problem might be. Igor received the faulty adapter with a review sample, which presumably means similar adapters may end up in other 4080 Super cards. It's a triple-pronged adapter (three 8-pin connectors to a single 16-pin connector), which means it's unlikely to come with lower tier RTX 40-series parts — the 4070 Ti Super for example comes with a two-pronged adapter. Regardless, if you happen to purchase a new RTX 40-series graphics card that includes any 16-pin adapter, it's important to ensure it fully 'clicks' into place.
