The wording in the PCI-SIG spec as it pertains to the additional power connectors (the 12VHPWR connector) is:
“the card designer is responsible for ensuring the power drawn from the cable never exceeds the limits indicated by SENSE1/SENSE0"
I, as well as others I have talked to, read that as: "The card designer should make sure the card doesn't draw more power than the PSU/cable is capable of delivering."
To me, that means if the card does not "see" the maximum number of sense pins, the card will still work, but will be prevented from using more power than what is available. Via a "downclock" or "throttle" or via an automatic undervolt.
Apparently, to Nvidia, and I haven't had a chance to test this yet, it means the card will not start at all.
Given the sentence; "the card designer is responsible for ensuring the power drawn from the cable never exceeds the limits indicated by SENSE1/SENSE0" how do YOU as an end user interpret this?
jonnyGURU
Apparently, to Nvidia, and I haven't had a chance to test this yet, it means the card will not start at all.
I think this is what they mean, as u noted.
And yet you need a 600W cable to overclock a 4090 to over 450W and it is limited to 450W when you use a 450W cable.
If the card could go over 450W without a BIOS update, then it shouldn't post with a 450W cable, based on what Nvidia has told us.
So the behavior IS what I expected. Makes me wonder why I was told differently.
jonnyGURU
@jonnyguru I really don't know why. Lately there is a lot of misconception for some reason, I can't understand...
