ASUS has unveiled an innovative concept featuring a graphics card and motherboard capable of delivering up to 250W of power directly through the PCIe slot, signaling a potential shift towards power connector-free GPUs.
ASUS’s Groundbreaking Graphics Card & Motherboard Innovation
This miniaturization trend toward cable-free designs in graphics technology is further highlighted by ASUS’s BTF series, which relocates connectors to the motherboard’s rear, alongside their high-efficiency GC High-Power solutions for GPUs. At Computex 2025, the company also demonstrated its impressive 1000W BTF 2.5 connector. As ASUS continues to explore and test new tech advancements, their latest concept could revolutionize the market.
In a recent video shared by Tony Yu, ASUS’s China manager, the company revealed a cutting-edge concept design aimed at eliminating the need for traditional power connectors in graphics cards. Specifically, they are focusing on the power input aspect.
Although the PCIe Gen5 standard has evolved in many areas, its power management capabilities have remained stagnant. The current setup allows for only 75W maximum power delivery through PCIe slots. This limitation renders it insufficient for most mainstream GPUs. For instance, while certain low-end solutions maintain a thermal design power (TDP) of under 75W, models like the RTX 5050 can peak above 100W, necessitating additional power input to ensure stable operation.
To address this, ASUS has proposed a solution that utilizes the motherboard’s 12V ATX power supply to help meet the demands of modern GPUs. However, as this power supply also supports fans and LED lighting, relying solely on it is not feasible. Thus, the question arises: can the PCIe slot handle more power?
Currently, regardless of the PCIe generation—be it Gen 3, Gen 4, or Gen 5—each slot is limited to 75W for power delivery. While the bulk of the slot’s real estate is dedicated to data transfer, the remaining portion grants power to the Analog Interface Controller (AIC).
ASUS plans to circumvent these restrictions by introducing its own PCIe slot design on both the graphics card and motherboard, which enables an impressive power delivery of up to 250W. They achieve this by adding three contacts to the front and two to the back of the gold finger interface, making it denser and reminiscent of the GC_HPWR connectors. This innovation hints at even greater power capabilities as this concept moves closer to production.
A parallel update is necessary on ASUS motherboards, which are equipped with a concept Gen5 x16 slot featuring thicker and more conductive pins at the front to support the enhanced power. This design element is visible through a gold finish on the motherboard.
Moreover, to accommodate the power demands from a PSU, ASUS has integrated an additional 8-pin connector on their motherboards, providing up to 150W of supplementary power to the PCIe slot. This integration ensures that the new setup can effectively handle a total of 250W. Other manufacturers, such as MSI, have also been offering similar 8-pin power connectors to enhance the stability and maximum current output in multi-GPU setups.
In their demonstration, ASUS showcased the TUF GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Gaming graphics card leveraging this innovative design, successfully drawing up to 248W of power via the PCIe without any issues.
While the ASUS connector-free PCIe design remains in the conceptual phase, it could herald a future where most graphics cards under 300W can operate without external power connectors. This shift not only promises cleaner builds but also mitigates risks associated with improper connection of the latest 16-pin connectors, which can lead to major issues. Although users may need motherboards specifically designed for these new graphics cards, time will reveal whether this concept gains traction or if similar designs emerge in the industry.
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