Maxsun, like other Nvidia partners, has already revealed its customGeForce RTX 4070 Super, one of thebest graphics cards. However, the GeForce RTX 4070 Super iCraft (viaHXL) has attracted much attention due to the employment of two regular 8-pin PCIe power connectors instead of the single16-pin(12VHPWR) power connector. It could be the first or potentially the only custom GeForce RTX 4070 Super graphics card to feature that combination.
The GeForce RTX 4070 Super is a 220W TGP graphics card. Without considering the PCIe expansion slot, a pair of 8-pin PCIe power connectors can provide up to 300W, so it’s a more than adequate setup. However, all other custom GeForce RTX 4070 Super models have a 16-pin power connector. This contrasts with the case of theGeForce RTX 4070(200W), where some came with the 16-pin power connector and others with a single 8-pin PCI power connector. Multiple vendors told us atCES 2024that the 16-pin power connector is a requirement on the GeForce RTX 4070 Super. The mandate to use the 16-pin power connector on all custom GeForce RTX 4070 Super graphics cards is likely Nvidia’s effort to standardize.
Maxsun has announced three GeForce RTX 4070 Super graphics cards: the GeForce RTX 4070 Super Turbo, the GeForce RTX 4070 Super iCraft Aijia Edition, and theGeForce RTX 4070 Super iCraft. Interestingly, the second and third SKUs are the same graphics cards with different aesthetics. Both boost up to 2,640 MHz and are rated for 245W, yet only the regular GeForce RTX 4070 Super iCraft uses the 8-pin PCIe power connectors. It’s uncertain of Maxsun’s design choice will result in any repercussions from Nvidia.
You can make a case for the 16-pin power connector because it helps with cable management. Instead of connecting two 8-pin PCIe power cables, you only need one 16-pin power cable. That isn’t the case for everyone, though. If you don’t own one of those new ATX 3.0 power supplies, you’ll be stuck with that hideous 16-pin to dual 8-pin adapter and still have to connect two power cables to your GeForce RTX 4070 Super, defeating the purpose of the 16-pin power cable.
PCI-SIG has revised the 16-pin power connector to make it safer for consumers. Assigned as the12V-2x6power connector, it’ll help you distinguish between the old and new connectors, although the subtle changes are sometimes difficult to notice from afar. At any rate, GeForce RTX 4070 Super owners shouldn’t have to worry about the16-pin meltdownsthat have beset theGeForce RTX 4090. Unlike the flagship SKU rated for 450W, the GeForce RTX 4070 Super only draws ropughly half as much power.
Maxsun doesn’t have a strong presence in the U.S. market so that you won’t find the brand’s products in every retailer. However, Maxsun has anofficial storeonAmazon, so if the GeForce RTX 4070 Super iCraft is made available outside of China, it’ll probably be on Amazon. The GeForce RTX 4070 Super officially launched on January 17 at $599. Maxsun’s GeForce RTX 4070 Super iCraft retails for$695in China, so that’s a sizable premium over the MSRP.
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Zhiye Liu is a news editor and memory reviewer at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
