but that just can't be true, it's not how electricity works, you make something smaller and it get's hotter, not just because there is more resistance but because there's also less room for heat dissipation
True.
all the wires on the modular SFX PSU's have molex micro-fit on the PSU end, so I wonder which end of the cable would melt first?
Usually, it has been the one on the GPU side. And that too due to not 100% perfect plug-in (partial insertion). This is also due to the reason that most GPUs are horizontally in the PC case and to close the side panel afterwards, the power cable has to do solid and severe bend. This, side panel pushing against fat bending power cable can dislodge the power cable from the GPU connector, thus making partial insertion and that has lead to the cable melting in most cases.
Things with 12VHPWR cable are so delicate that many (if not all) brands that supply these cables (e.g PSU brands, custom cable brands) have put out in-depth guides on how to properly use the damn thing.
E.g here's CableMod's guide:
https://cablemod.com/12vhpwr/
GamersNexus covered this melting connector issue in-depth, with several long and in-depth videos. I'm not going to link them all here, you can look up others if you like, but the best one of them would be this one:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2px7ofKhQ
In that video Steve managed to get the connector to melt. Proving the issue and it's severity.
While most of the world thinks it is user error, by not inserting the cable fully, thus making it melt; the same isn't with the ones who repair electronics on daily basis. Alex, founder and owner of Northridge Fix, who has to replace the burnt connectors on RTX 4090 GPUs on daily basis, can tell from experience that the connector melting isn't user error.
One of many Alex'es RTX 4090 repair videos:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nplGX4SqABw
There are more RTX 4090 repair videos if you look it up from his channel.
yes, agreed, it seems like a strange decision since there is more than enough room on GPU's, and tiny plugs make it impossible for cable modders to hide the end of the sleeving inside the connector so I can see people preferring the old ones anyway
I think the main issue here is Nvidia's pride. They developed a new power connector, didn't test it in-depth, released the "iffy" connector on the market and when it was established that the connector is bad, rather than reverting it and going back to the trusted and known to work 8-pin PCI-E connectors, Nvidia instead released an "updated" version of their connector, now called 12V-2x6.
Over the years, there have been other "innovations" with power delivery within PCs. Some more successful than others.
To name some of them:
Corsair Shift
Further reading:
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/explo...t-power-supplies-everything-you-need-to-know/
Idea with this is, that PSU power connectors, rather than coming out from the opposite side of main power input, are coming out instead from the side of the PSU. Look the Corsair's announcement for images.
Corsair claims that it helps to improve cable management. Well, it does, but only in specific use cases. Namely only then, where there's enough room behind MoBo tray, to reroute the power cables. But since most cases have little room behind MoBo tray, there are only select few PC cases, where such PSU can be used. And PSU must be install with fan down. Else-ways, the cables will come out of the other side, where usually transparent side panel is (when PC case has PSU shroud, PSU can't be installed fan up at all).
Seasonic Connect
Further reading:
https://seasonic.com/connect/
Seasonic's way to improve cable management. With Connect, Seasonic actually relocated the production of +5V and +3.3V rails to the Connect unit, making PSU's own footprint much smaller. But as with Corsair Shift, Seasonic Connect also has select few PC cases where it is compatible.
Intel ATX12VO (12 volt only)
Further reading:
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-com...new-standard-will-reduce-pc-cabling-and-costs
Idea with this is, to move the +5V and +3.3V generation from the PSU to MoBo. Whereby PSU only converts AC to +12V DC and feeds it forward to MoBo. MoBo then has to take +12V and make +5V and +3.3V out of it + having power connectors on it to send it along (e.g SATA and MOLEX).
On one aspect, this makes the life for PSU manufacturers much easier, since all they need to do, is converting AC to +12V DC. But on the flip side and where i think it is a bad move, MoBo manufactures now have to implement the circuit to transform +12V into +5V and +3.3V.
I don't have much faith in that, namely due to the lack of experience of MoBo manufacturers taking this over. I'd rather let the power delivery to be made by PSU (since PSU manufacturers have decades of experience) and MoBo be as it is now.
On top of that, Intel ATX12VO would make MoBos to cost far more and with latest MoBos, the real estate on MoBo PCB is premium. There's more space on ATX MoBos but micro-ATX and mini-ITX MoBos would struggle a lot with this.
E.g here's one such ATX12VO MoBos:
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-H610M-12VO
H610 chipset, so barebones as it gets.
Power connectors wise: no 24-pin ATX anymore. Instead 10-pin ATX + 6-pin PCI-E is in place of it. Also has 8-pin 12VEPS for CPU and only TWO 4-pin molex for SATA.
Two connectors for SATA power are way too little. Even my PSU has six power connectors for molex/SATA and my PSU isn't that high wattage either, only 650W unit.
So, i don't think the Intel ATX12VO would gain any ground in enthusiast PC building. Maybe in OEM/prebuilts (e.g Dell).
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