We recently saw AMD unveiling two brand new desktop GPUs from its Radeon 7000 series. The new RX 7800 XT and the RX 7700 XT are based on the RDNA 3 architecture and are claimed to be optimized for the best 1440p gaming experience. Both the graphics cards also come with standard 8-pin PCIe power connectors, but a report now suggests that was not AMD’s original plan.
In an interview with Club386, Scott Herkelman, senior vice president and general manager of the Graphics Business Unit at AMD, said that the company had given thought to using the 16-pin 12VHPWR power connector on the RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT. However, it rightly chose to drop that idea after rival Nvidia experienced major issues with the connector. Pogo Probe
While AMD did not intend to use the new power connector on the 7900 and 7600 series GPUs, they actually had plans to use it on the 7800 and 7700. “We removed it, and that was a purposeful removal. You shouldn’t blame end users for issues you have. You should catch and own any problems, just like we did with the vapor-chamber issue. I was all over social media because I felt like it was AMD’s problem and I was going to own it,” he said.
With the introduction of its RTX 40-series GPUs, Nvidia struggled to maintain quality control of the 12VHPWR connector, specifically on the most expensive and powerful RTX 4090. As a result, there were multiple reports by tech reviewers and consumers claiming their 4090 literally melted during a heavy workload session. It was concluded that a loose or faulty connection was the main culprit and Nvidia released a statement with guidelines on how to properly use the power connector. Additionally, the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group has rolled out a revised 12V-2×6 power connector that is claimed to be safer than the original 16-pin power connector.
Herkelman added: “Until this power issue is cleaned up and there’s good confidence it’s working correctly for end users, that’s where you’ll start to see us incorporate it into our planning. The ability for someone to say it’s an end-user’s fault is a little strange to AMD and definitely strange to me.”
Clearly, AMD is not eager to follow Nvidia’s footsteps and adopt the 16-pin power connector this soon. However, that doesn’t mean that we will never see an AMD GPU with the 12VHPWR power connector. Herkelman also added that AMD will definitely consider the 16-pin power connector once the “power issue is cleaned up and there’s good confidence it’s working correctly for end users.”
The world has gone pretty far when it comes to the processing power that we carry around with us, and if you're big into music production, then you're the luckiest of all. Some of the best laptops on the market have high-end CPUs for relatively low prices, which means that if you want to do music production on a laptop, you have a huge number of choices. Of course, that does also mean that it can be hard to navigate and pick the best laptop for your budget and needs, which is why we've done the legwork for you. We've collected our favorite picks below in various categories so that you can pick them with ease. Plus, we've even thrown in a quick guide on what to look for so that if you don't find what you want here, you can check out these other laptop deals for alternatives. The Best Laptops for Music Production
Best overall laptop for music production:
When you're shopping for a new printer, researching the best printer brands can save you time and help ensure you get a high-quality, long-lasting printer with a good warranty, the supplies you need to keep printing, and reliable customer service. The best printers invariably come from the top brands.
That doesn't mean printers from unknown brands are unworthy of consideration. A newcomer could appear with innovative features and exciting print technology to shake up the status quo. However, the biggest brands have research and development teams that are always looking for ways to improve quality and performance at an affordable cost.
Monitor settings are an oft-overlooked tool in a PC gamer's arsenal. You may already know how to overclock your GPU for the best performance, but if you've bought a gaming monitor and haven't set it to the best configuration, you're missing out. There are a number of important calibrations to make to boost the contrast, hit the right refresh rate, and make sure you're using any advanced game mode features to lower latency.
You needn't trial and error your way through changing your monitor's settings, though. We've put together the best monitor configuration options to make your gaming experience that bit better. Set your refresh rate and resolution Most gaming monitors will default to their best resolution and refresh rate the first time you plug them in and turn them on, but not all of them do. Make sure you enable yours by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting Display settings. Select the monitor you want to tweak the settings for, and use the resolution drop-down to select your native resolution. You can set a custom resolution if you prefer, but anything other than native is going to lead to a blurry image so isn't advisable.
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