One thing to look ahead to: Asus has spent years working to eradicate GPU energy cables, and its evolving BTF customary represents a significant step ahead. The BTF customary shifts energy supply to a brand new connector situated subsequent to the PCIe slot, requiring appropriate motherboards and graphics playing cards. A latest replace, nevertheless, introduces GPUs which are appropriate with each BTF and conventional motherboards, addressing the most important impediment to adopting this new expertise.
Asus revealed extra particulars about its deliberate cableless GPU energy connector customary at CES final week. In keeping with HardwareLuxx, the up to date model of the Again to the Future (BTF) specification now helps non-compliant motherboards and will increase the utmost supported wattage.
Beforehand, Asus demonstrated BTF-compatible graphics playing cards that changed typical energy connectors with a brand new GC-HPWR gold finger, positioned alongside the PCIe x16 gold finger. BTF-compliant motherboards embody a corresponding HPCE connector, giving customized PC builders one much less cable to fret about.
The unique BTF specification (click on to enlarge)
Curiosity in a cableless customary surged after some Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 customers reported burning energy cables. Asus goals to make PC builds less complicated and safer by minimizing the variety of required cables.
Nevertheless, the primary era of BTF GPUs required BTF-compatible motherboards, which posed challenges for upgrades until all the PC business adopted the usual. The introduction of BTF 2.0 GPUs mitigates this challenge by supporting each GC-HPWR connectors and the extra widespread 12v-2×6 connectors.
BTF 2.0 (click on to enlarge)
The up to date design reintroduces 12v-2×6 connectors on the outward-facing facet of the graphics card, reverse the gold fingers. In the meantime, the GC-HPWR connector is now recessed and now not robotically aligns with the HPCE connector.
Switching to BTF mode entails utilizing a removable GC-HPWR gold finger, which connects the GPU’s gold finger to the motherboard’s HPCE connector. Though Asus hasn’t but launched any BTF 2.0 graphics playing cards, the brand new design would enable customers to decide on between conventional motherboards and BTF-compatible fashions.
Removable GC-HPWR connector (click on to enlarge)
Furthermore, whereas earlier BTF-compatible graphics playing cards might draw as much as 600W from the motherboard, BTF 2.0 raises the restrict to a powerful 1,000W. Though no shopper GPUs at the moment require this a lot energy, flagship playing cards are getting hungrier. For example, Nvidia’s just lately introduced RTX 5090 has an influence requirement of 575W.
The GC-HPWR and HPCE connectors usually are not the one improvements within the BTF lineup. Asus accomplice DIY-APE is already engaged on BTF 3.0, which goals to create a cableless connection between the facility provide unit, motherboard, and GPU.
This next-generation customary introduces a brand new connector on the bottom of the motherboard, able to delivering as much as 1,500W to a number of system parts. If extensively adopted, BTF 3.0 would cut back the remaining cables in a PC construct to these for SATA units and chassis parts.
