Is NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti using the infamous GPU-melting power cable? — Leaks hint at a 16-pin hookup

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Four of MSI's NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti designs leaked ahead of launch, and three models (for some reason) have a 12VHPWR power hookup.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition power adapter in box
One of MSI's cards sticks with an 8-pin connector, but the other three have a 16-pin connector. (Image credit: Windows Central | Ben Wilson)

NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti is expected to launch on April 16, and some designs from board partner MSI have leaked.

This first look at the upcoming 60-class RTX 5000 GPUs, reported by Videocardz, includes the MSI Inspire 2X, MSI Gaming Trio, and MSI Gaming models.

The Inspire 2X is, in my opinion, one of the best-looking dual-fan GPUs in recent memory, with a stripped-back design and copper tint.

From the images gathered by Videocardz, it appears the Inspire 2X RTX 5060 Ti is slightly thicker than two slots, and it'll have an 8-pin connector for power.

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MSI Inspire 2X RTX 5060 Ti leak
A leaked look at the MSI Inspire 2X RTX 5060 Ti(Image credit: Videocardz.com)

For those who prefer a GPU with a more aggressive style, the MSI Gaming RTX 5060 Ti goes with a black finish, angled edges, and RGB lighting.

It's a dual-fan GPU that appears to be just thicker than two slots, and it appears that MSI has chosen a 16-pin (12VHPWR) power connector.

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MSI Gaming RTX 5060 Ti
A leaked look at the MSI Gaming RTX 5060 Ti with 16-pin power connector(Image credit: Videocardz.com)

Yes, that's the same one that users have reported to be melting when paired with the RTX 5090 and RTX 4090.

In the case of the RTX 5060 Ti, that shouldn't be a problem. The mid-range card is expected to launch with a 180W TDP, much lower than the RTX 5090's massive 575W power demand.

So what's the reason for using such an overkill power connector on a 180W GPU? I have no concrete answer.

It could have something to do with overclocking, but that would have to be one mean OC to warrant the 16-pin hardware.

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MSI Gaming Trio RTX 5060 Ti
A leaked look at the MSI Gaming Trio White RTX 5060 Ti(Image credit: Videocardz.com)

MSI's three-fan RTX 5060 Ti Gaming Trio and Gaming Trio White designs were also leaked, and they too have the 16-pin power connector.

The 5060 Ti Gaming Trio is essentially an elongated version of the standard Gaming GPU, with the same angled edges and RGB lighting.

The Gaming Trio White is — you guessed it — the same card with a white finish.

This initial look at RTX 5060 Ti GPUs also indicates that the GPUs will use the GB206 chip, which supports PCIe 5.0 x8.

With NVIDIA expected to officially launch its RTX 5060 Ti GPUs next week, we'll know a lot more about the mid-range desktop cards very soon.

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Cale Hunt
Cale Hunt
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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it. 

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