As part of the formula for delivering their massive generation-on-generation performance improvements, GeForce RTX 30-series cards draw more power than their predecessors, especially at the top of the range. Many enthusiasts might think about power delivery in terms of VRM phases and cooling, but we began our engineering journey at the point of entry to the graphics card itself. Some GeForce RTX 30-series cards may satisfy their power requirements by drawing from PCI Express auxiliary connectors and the 75W of power available from the PCI Express slot. This approach is perfectly within spec, but it may create additional power-delivery and thermal demands that some motherboards might not be built for.
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To maximize overclocking headroom and system stability for every PC build, we opted to use three eight-pin PCIe auxiliary connectors on the custom ROG Strix PCB. This approach means that the card will satisfy all of its power needs by drawing directly from the PSU, reducing demands from the ATX12V and auxiliary power connectors on the motherboard. Modern high-wattage PSUs have plenty of eight-pin PCI connectors to spare, and their active cooling ensures clean, stable power across a wide range of operating conditions.
