PC memory and graphics card maker Inno3D has announced "Stealth Cable Management" is coming to a subset of its Ada Lovelace graphics cards. Starting with upcoming GeForce RTX 4070, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce RTX 4060 Twin X2 / OC White Edition graphics cards, users will find the 8-pin power connector is recessed within the center-rear of the card.
Inno3D noted recessed cables and connectors was something of a trend at the recent Computex show, and thinks it will be a more important part of computer component product design going forward. The firm appears to have brainstormed the benefits of recessed cables, and users should benefit from the following key advantages of its "unique approach":
- Improved cable management
- Cleaner look for better aesthetics
- Facilitates gentler bends in the power cables
- Streamlined case airflow
- White cards come with white power cables
Regular readers will be aware that this isn't a unique innovation from Inno3D, as the updated Gigabyte RTX 4090 WindForce v2 design also gained a recessed cable connector, last week, as a refinement compared to the previous model.
In its press release about the Stealth Cable Management enhanced graphics cards, Inno3D implies that this feature will come to the white graphics cards first. It specifically says that "The GeForce RTX 4070, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce 4060 GPUs will come bundled with white power cables, which perfectly complement the card's overall white theme." We don't have any mention of, or images of, the black models (black / grey) with this power cable recess design.
Plugging in the power connector on these new models won't be as straight forward as many are used to. Inno3D says that one half of the backplate can be lifted to insert the 8-pin PCIe power connector head. We guess it then screws down and the connector block becomes captive. Of course you will also need a modular PSU to make use of the Inno3D cable provided.
We have been talking about graphics card power connectors and cables probably more than we would have liked to in recent months. Since the launch of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 there has been quite a long list of cabling / connector issues affecting PC enthusiasts and DIYers. Pushing the advancement of cabling from another angle is the growing expectation of PC makers that a machine will look magnificent both inside and out.
We don't know when these new recessed power cable connector graphics cards from Inno3D will hit shelves, and / or if there will be any premium to pay compared to existing designs. Inno3D hints that it will be watching the sales success of this white mid-range Stealth Cable Management series, and may end up applying the same design change to more GPUs, if its toe-in-the-water isn't burned.
