ASRock's First-Ever Power Supplies Are Primed For Next-Gen GPUs With Up To 1650W
ASRock has its fingers in several different pies, which notably includes motherboards, graphics cards, gaming monitors, and a few other categories. However, it hasn't dabbled in power supply units (PSUs). That changes today with the introduction of no less than 19 power supply models spread across four different lineups, including Taichi, Phantom Gaming, Steel Legend, and Challenger.
Talk about making an entrance. Usually when a manufacturer expands into a new category, it's either with a single SKU or no more than a handful of models. That isn't the case here. Aimed at the DIY market, ASRock's 19 new power supplies are all fully compliant with the latest ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards "supporting the instantaneous peak power loads of 200% to 235%."
"This ensures users receive stable power solutions for future technologies. Featuring native 12V-2x6 cables, the single-line output can deliver up to 600W, designed to meet the high-power requirements of next-gen premium graphics cards. The dual-color 16-pin connector design enables quick identification, ensuring proper insertion into the GPU's power socket," ASRock explains.
ASRock's new models provide further evidence that NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 series, which is expected to debut during the Consumer Electronics Show in January, will employ 12V-2x6 connectors. The announcement comes on the heels of Corsair seemingly confirming as much in a recent blog post, in which it also reinforced a rumor that next-gen GPUs will see a bump in the total graphics power (TGP) ratings above the the 450W maximum (reference spec) on current-gen cards, and specifically the GeForce RTX 4090.
The 12V-2x6 connector emerged as a replacement to the 12VHPWR, with a design tweak to mitigate the possible melting issues that could manifest if the plug is not fully inserted. Given the verbiage first from Corsair and now ASRock, it appears likely that NVIDIA will stick with the spec for its next-gen GPUs.
In addition, ASRock says both its Taichi and Phantom Gaming models employ an "exclusive embedded NTC sensor" to monitor temps in real-time, and to active a protection mode if temps spike above a "safe limit."
The Taichi is positioned as ASRock's flagship PSU series with wattages offered in 1,650W and 1,300W only. These are modular units with purportedly high quality components, with 80+ Titanium certification and backed by a 10-year warranty.
Underneath that, the Phantom Gaming series goes up to 1,600W with 80 Plus Gold certification, a fully modular design, and the same 10-year warranty.
The Steel Legend goes up to 1,000W and comes in both black and white colorways. They're all 80 Plus Gold certified and fully modular with a flat cable design, and likewise carry a 10-year warranty.
Finally, the Challenger series appears positioned as the most affordable of the bunch. Wattages top out at 850W in 80 Plus Gold and 80 Plus Bronze trim, and backed by a 5-year warranty.
No word on when ASRock's new PSUs will land at retail or how much they'll cost, though ASRock has already put up several product pages on its website.
