Why it matters: Even though modern digital connections don't work the same way as analog tech from the past, they are still affected by distance. Longer cables could cause issues in some configurations, but one Chinese GPU company is proposing a potential solution for affluent PC gamers.

Chinese OEM manufacturer Galax is celebrating its 20th anniversary on the market with a unique GeForce RTX 4090 model, a GPU capable of a feat no PC graphics accelerator has done before. The Galax GeForce RTX 4090 20th Anniversary Edition is the first GPU to feature an HDMI retimer chip, which should provide greater video stability over HDMI connections.

HDMI retimer chips enhance and stabilize signal transmissions over long distances, and they are typically used on gaming consoles for people connecting their PS5 or Xbox Series X to a distant TV set. Meanwhile, PC users are mostly connecting their gaming setup to a display nearby – usually on the same desk where the PC is.

The new GeForce RTX 4090 20th Anniversary Edition from Galax uses the Parade PS8419 chip, an HDMI retimer with full support for HDMI 2.1 connections. The PS8419 chip is designed to remove both the data and clock jitter, as well as the timing skew between the data and clock channels, IC manufacturer Parade Technologies explains, thus delivering a "very low jitter" HDMI output.

PS8419 has been developed to be integrated on notebooks and motherboards, TV, monitors and projectors, set-top boxes, and AV receivers. The celebrative Ada Lovelace GPU from Galax would be the first GPU ever to feature an integrated HDMI retimer. Thanks to this specialized chip, inventive PC users could connect their powerful gaming machine to a monitor or a TV in a different room with a simple HDMI cable.

HDMI retiming issues aside, the Galax GeForce RTX 4090 20th Anniversary Edition employs a top-down cooling solution similar to the one used by Nvidia for the Founders Edition of its high-end gaming GPU. The card employs a 24+4 VRAM design, and has a 2,595 MHz clock that can theoretically be pushed further with overclocking.

The new celebrative GeForce RTX 4090 from Galax is a limited-edition SKU which will be produced in limited quantities. The GPU will likely be available only for the internal Chinese market, with a premium price not intended for ordinary customers.