MSI X870 and X870E Motherboards Feature Extra Power Connector for Next-Gen GPUs

MSI X870, X870E motherboards have an extra 8-pin PCIe power connector for next-gen GPUs -- unofficially aimed at GeForce RTX 50 series

Next-generation graphics cards could pull up to 225 watts from the PCIe slot alone. MSI is making some interesting upgrades to its upcoming X870 and X870E motherboards. Cowcotland reports that the motherboard manufacturer showed off new X870 and X870E motherboards at Gamescom 2024, featuring an 8-pin PCIe power connector installed at the bottom of the PCB. The additional power connector is reportedly designed to power next-generation graphics cards. Assuming MSI is taking full advantage of the capabilities of a single 8-pin PCIe connector, these new X870/X870E motherboards will have up to 75W of additional power routed to the primary, secondary, or both PCIe slots thanks to that additional 8-pin power plug. A single PCIe x16 slot can already give up to 75W of power to the slot so that the extra 8-pin will give these new MSI boards up to 225W of power generation entirely from the x16 slot (or slots) alone. The 8-pin PCIe power connector is located strategically at the bottom of MSI's new motherboards. It is an optimal place, as it positions it very close to the PCIe slots and makes it easy for builders to manage the 8-pin power cable needed to power the connector. MSI unofficially indicated to Cowcotland that these new 8-pin connectors on their X870/X870E motherboards are aimed squarely at next-generation graphics cards, such as the GeForce RTX 50 series. Alternatively, the additional 8-pin PCIe power connector could be used for multi-GPU setups typical of AI systems. On the one hand, MSI's changes suggest that next-generation graphics cards will consume more power than outgoing GPUs like the RTX 4090 already do. Having extra power wired to the PCIe slot will enable GPUs to pull more than 600W -- 660W of power without opting for a secondary 12v2x6 power connector. There is little reason to add extra power to the PCIe slot if the GPU doesn't exceed the 12v2x6 connector's power specification. Given that Asus has implemented the supplementary 8-pin PCIe connector on its own competing X870 and X870E motherboards, motherboard vendors likely already know the power necessities of next-generation graphics cards.

MSI To Feature Dedicated 8-Pin Connector Across All X870E Motherboards For Next-Gen NVIDIA RTX 50 GPUs

MSI has featured a dedicated 8-pin power connector across all of its X870E motherboards which will supplement the next-gen NVIDIA RTX 50 GPUs. Yesterday during Gamescom 2024, MSI showcased its upcoming MPG X870E Carbon WIFI design which is a high-end motherboard featuring tons of cool features such as a 20-Phase VRM delivery and lots of IO ports including dual USB4 and dual 2.5/5.0 GbE LAN ports. The board also packs an EZ-slot and EZ-release mechanism, making installation and removal of M.2 / PCIe devices easier. Another interesting feature of this motherboard is the integration of a dedicated 8-pin power connector which we mentioned yesterday too. This connector will supplement the power needs of the Gen5 lanes featured on the motherboard. We managed to get some additional details from our sources regarding the use of such 8-pin connectors on upcoming designs and the answer is the next-gen NVIDIA RTX 50 series GPUs. Many motherboard makers such as MSI and even ASUS will be integrating dedicated 8-pin power connectors on their motherboards to extend the power requirements of next-gen RTX 50 GPUs by NVIDIA. It's not that these cards are going to be power-hungry but using a multi-GPU solution such as two RTX 40 or RTX 50 GPUs puts a lot of strain on the PCIe lanes which require more power in the current Gen5 generation. Following is the full list of MSI X870E & X870 motherboards that will feature the dedicated 8-pin power connector: As such, MSI will be adding the dedicated 8-pin connector across all of its X870E motherboards & even a few X870 designs including the MPG Carbon WIFI, MEG ACE, and MEG GODLIKE. Yes, the other two motherboards are going to be part of the lineup but they will be showcased at a later date as the launch for the X870E series is planned for the 30th of September. Not only MSI, but ASUS will also have this dedicated 8-pin connector on its flagship, the X870E ROG Crosshair HERO, but it's the only motherboard that offers such a power delivery solution for the Gen5 lanes and the upcoming NVIDIA RTX 50 multi-GPU AI operations. Other manufacturers such as Gigabyte, ASRock, and Biostar don't have such connectors either on the boards they have showcased so far however that could change as we get closer to the launch as there's still enough time to make such changes.