AMD slams Nvidia over 16-pin connector issues, but admits considering the same design

[midian182]

What just happened? Never one to miss an opportunity to have a dig at Nvidia, AMD has blasted its rival over the 16-pin (12VHPWR) power connector issues that were found (mostly) in the RTX 4090. However, Team Red did admit that it had considered using the same connector in the new Radeon RX 7800 XT and Radeon RX 7700 XT before deciding against it.

Speaking in an interview with Club386, Scott Herkelman, senior vice president and general manager of the Graphics Business Unit at AMD, talked about the company's Radeon RX 7000 desktop series using the standard 8-pin power connectors.

While the use of the traditional connector was always the plan for the Radeon RX 7900 series and RX 7600, the new Navi 32-based Radeon RX 7800 XT and Radeon RX 7700 XT almost went down the Nvidia route by using the 16-pin 12VHPWR.

"We specifically, for 7900 Series, and even 7600, we didn't plan on the new power cable, but 7800 and 7700 did have a plan for it," Herkelman said. "We removed it, and that was a purposeful removal."

The AMD exec then took a shot at Nvidia over how it handled the 16-pin 12VHPWR melting connector issues. "You shouldn't blame end users for issues you have. You should catch and own any problems, just like we did with the vapor-chamber issue. I was all over social media because I felt like it was AMD's problem and I was going to own it."

That vapor chamber issue refers to an overheating problem found in a small number of Radeon RX 7900 XTX cards. Herkelman admitted earlier this year that some AMD-manufactured Radeon RX 7900 XTX cards were getting too hot due to insufficient fluid in their vapor chamber.

Following the initial wave of reports about melting power adapters for the GeForce RTX 4090, Nvidia issued a statement blaming users for improperly plugging in the cables. It was around this time that AMD confirmed its RDNA 3 cards wouldn't use 12VHPWR. It sounds like the company isn't ruling out switching at some point, though, probably when RDNA 4 arrives.

"Until this power issue is cleaned up and there's good confidence it's working correctly for end users, that's where you'll start to see us incorporate it into our planning," Herkelman continued. "The ability for someone to say it's an end-user's fault is a little strange to AMD and definitely strange to me."

In July, we heard that the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) was working on the revised 12V-2x6 power connector specification. The update aims to address the design issues contributing to melting and connection failures associated with the RTX 4090. Nvidia upgraded the RTX 4090 Founders Edition with the new standard soon after.

Stay safe this holiday season. @amdradeon pic.twitter.com/DOpg0f2qaP

– Sasa Marinkovic (@SasaMarinkovic) November 17, 2022

This isn't the first time an AMD exec has mocked Nvidia over the melting connector. Sasa Marinkovic, senior director of gaming marketing at Team Red, made a joke last year with a post on X (then still Twitter) about staying safe during the holiday season, accompanied by a photo of AMD's 8-pin connectors.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/99996-amd-slams-nvidia-over-16-pin-connector-issues.html

 

[wiyosaya]

"You shouldn't blame end users for issues you have. You should catch and own any problems, just like we did with the vapor-chamber issue. I was all over social media because I felt like it was AMD's problem and I was going to own it."

Way to go AMD!!! If only all companies were like this and were willing to take responsibility for their design issues instead of blaming users for "holding it wrong." If they were, we might actually have some great progress in Tech and PC components in general. Instead, we get Asus trying to design graphics cards that require new motherboards. But that is what we should expect from Asus - after all, they make motherboards, GPUs, etc., and want to sell more of them.

Now all AMD needs to do is come up with a GPU that will trounce Nvidia and their return to dominance in the computer industry will be complete.

 

[VcoreLeone]

You should catch and own any problems, just like we did with the vapor-chamber issue.

that was reported by TPU first, amd had no idea.
do you think they'd send review units to all major sites if they knew the chamber was faulty lol
they literally recalled hundreds or thousands of cards, if that's "catching your own problem" according to Herkelman, I'd rather make sure the 16-pin is well seated instead.

 

[BrotherMichigan]

that was reported by TPU first, amd had no idea.
do you think they'd send review units to all major sites if they knew the chamber was faulty lol
they literally recalled hundreds or thousands of cards, if that's "catching your own problem" according to Herkelman, I'd rather make sure the 16-pin is well seated instead.

I'm pretty sure this was referring to the "owning it" part, as indicated by literally the very next sentence in the article.

I was all over social media because I felt like it was AMD's problem and I was going to own it.

 

[wiyosaya]

that was reported by TPU first, amd had no idea.
do you think they'd send review units to all major sites if they knew the chamber was faulty lol
they literally recalled hundreds or thousands of cards, if that's "catching your own problem" according to Herkelman, I'd rather make sure the 16-pin is well seated instead.

Owning it, even when its all over "social media," and even though it was discovered by a third-party, is what a responsible company does.

 

[VcoreLeone]

Owning it, even when its all over "social media," and even though it was discovered by a third-party, is what a responsible company does.

honoring your warranty is not something worthy of bragging on twitter.
but amd have different standards when the public is basically their q/c.
Herkelman should just keep quiet instead of making a fool of himself again.

 

[godrilla]

honoring your warranty is not something worthy of bragging on twitter.
but amd have different standards when the public is basically their q/c.
Herkelman should just keep quiet instead of making a fool of himself again.

The rate of the burning cables have definitely cooled as of late.
Also with this trolling going on by team Red does this mean they eventually will upgrade to the 12v cable after the quality assurance and improvements are made or will they stay on multi power cable solution indefinitely. AMD'S marketing/trolling is off footing if you ask me. This might allow Nvidia opportunity to troll them back at a later date. Don't poke the bear AMD pokes the brear, hopefully they don't fall on face!

 

[captaincranky]

Way to go AMD!!! If only all companies were like this and were willing to take responsibility for their design issues instead of blaming users for "holding it wrong." If

Well, let's be realistic. An end user couldn't cause the vapor chamber issue. So who else could own it but AMD? The only way to resolve it was by a recall, which is something that car companies do every now and then by the hundreds of thousands of units. Nor do you hear automotive CEOs running their yaps that they're, "doing you a big favor", when they issue one.

Whereas, an incorrectly plugged in connector could cause it to melt. And that's what's known as "pilot error". In this instance, maybe the blame should be shared between users and manufacturers.

OTOH, a single 12 gauge solid wire in a home circuit will handle 1875 watts fairly easily.. But I guess it would be futile to try and convince "power users", that they have to use solder lugs and screw terminals to run those high power cards.

The female connectors on a VGA conductor are fairly similar in type to female molex. You've never managed to have one of those loosen up or back out of the housing?

Try not to let your personal disdain for Nvidia, (and Intel), interfere with rational thought on the topic.

This counterpoint lovingly brought to you via Intel Pentium E-2200 / G-31, and an Nvidia GT-730. Wish it a "happy birthday", as the CPU and board will be "sweet sixteen" this year. But no, in case you were wondering, it won't run "Crysis". For that matter, it barely runs Firefox.