Supplemental power totalling 420W! Updated: Sep 11, 2024 12:14 pm WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more Table of Contents Table of Contents MSI has announced that its latest X870E motherboards will feature a new PCIe power connector that helps deliver more stable power to GPUs running at peak performance. MSI has teased its latest additions to AMD motherboards in the form of the X870E tomahawk, Godlike, Carbon, and Pro, which all come with a supplemental 8-pin power connector at the bottom of the board to give you a little extra juice should you need it. Specifically, MSI likens this power connector to having an extra battery pack, designed to help stability under extremely intensive workloads, allowing the PSU to “keep up” with demand. Supplemental power MSI states that this supplemental connector is able to supply 252W at 21 Amps, add that to the 168W already supplied by the 24-pin connector, and you get a board that is capable of running with 420W – that’s just the motherboard! The example here is the MSI MAG Tomahawk paired with the RTX 4090 and the 9950X. Let’s take the Tomohawk for example. Source: MSI – Via VideoCardz Besides being able to handle up to 165W (2.5X the standard 75W) through the PCIe interface, the Tomohawk allocates an impressive 132W max to fans, and 36W to RGB at any one time. The supplemental power connector is primarily intended for high-end graphics cards that sometimes experience power excursions of up to 2.5X through the PCIe interface. By including this connector, MSI ensures that this motherboard will be able to support the GPU during this peak usage. Power stability isn’t usually an issue to the average consumer, as they don’t dabble in the world of extreme overclocking, or might not have the most demanding GPU, where the smallest power fluctuation can lead to critical instability or performance loss. Supplemental power isn’t anything new, motherboard manufacturers have been adding these connectors to motherboards for years now in the form of 6-pin PCIe connectors. The difference now is the amount of power supplied, and the shape of the connector. Remember, it’s not just the Tomohawk that’s going to be getting this feature either, according to the video that MSI posted and promotional materials for the X870E & X870 lineup, all models of the top-spec motherboards will get this feature. Potential release date MSI claims that these motherboards are to be released on September 26th, However, VideoCards suggests that reviews of these boards are set to be published on the 30th, implying a same-day embargo. Actual sales of the product usually begin on the same day, or the following day, but if the rumors are true, and we’re still in for a September release, it’s likely the sales will begin on September 30th.
