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Seasonic’s next-generation Prime PSUs to will try to stop connectors from melting
(www.tomshardware.com)
this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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XT connectors are designed for two big conductors.
But you actually end up needing a lot more copper than you do when using several smaller wires, to carry the same current.
Large wires are also a lot less flexible.
ATX connectors have been fit for purpose for decades. It's only this latest addition that seems to push things too far.
Most of these melty connectors are only carrying 2 rails, 12v+ and ground. There isn't a need to have 12 connections do the same thing as 2.
No. But you can get away with less material if you do.
The amount of copper required to carry 500 watts over 12 connectors is a lot less than 500 watts over two connectors.
I know that is true for AC stuff, but is it for DC?
Also these are high end, $500+ video cards, is another $5 in material going to change much?
Yes.
And yes. The cables don't come with the GPU. 5$ more for every new PSU made is not a drop in the bucket.
And I don't think you realize how thick, cumbersome, and stiff, two sole conductors that can do 500W at 12V would be.
The only reason mains power cables are so thin, is because they operate at 120-240V, allowing the amps (and the stress on the cable) to be fairly low. (It being AC also helps, the problem is WORSE with DC)
To do 500W at 12V, you need truly massive cables. And it gets exponentially bigger the more these cards pull.
In fact, the XT60 would not be enough. It can handle bursts of the 700 watts a 5090 can pull, but to deal with the fact that these GPUs pull that continuously, you need to go all the way up to an XT120.