Something price waiting for: Asus has spent years working to eliminate GPU power cables, and its evolving BTF standard is a giant step forward. The BTF standard moves power to a brand new connector next to the PCIe slot, requiring compatible motherboards and graphics cards. However, a recent update introduces GPUs which are compatible with each BTF and traditional motherboards, eliminating the largest hurdle to implementing this recent technology.
Last week at CES, Asus revealed more details about its planned wireless GPU power connector standard. According to HardwareLuxxan updated version of the Back to the Future (BTF) specification now supports incompatible motherboards and increases the utmost power supported.
Earlier, Asus demonstrated BTF-compatible graphics cards that replaced conventional power connectors with a brand new GC-HPWR gold finger, positioned next to the PCIe x16 gold finger. BTF-compliant motherboards feature the suitable HPCE connector, giving custom PC builders one less cable to worry about.
Original BTF specification (click to enlarge)
Interest within the wireless standard has increased after some Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 users reported burning power cables. Asus goals to make constructing PCs simpler and safer by minimizing the number of cables required.
However, the primary generation of BTF GPUs required BTF-compatible motherboards, which presented an upgrade challenge unless your entire PC industry adopted the usual. The introduction of BTF 2.0 GPUs alleviates this problem by supporting each GC-HPWR connectors and the more popular 12V-2×6 connectors.
BTF 2.0 (click to enlarge)
The updated design reintroduces 12V-2×6 connectors on the surface of the graphics card, opposite the gold fingers. Meanwhile, the GC-HPWR connector is now recessed and now not mechanically aligns with the HPCE connector.
Entering BTF mode is achieved through the use of the detachable GC-HPWR gold finger, which connects the GPU gold finger to the motherboard’s HPCE connector. While Asus hasn’t released any BTF 2.0 graphics cards yet, the brand new design will allow users to make a choice from traditional motherboards and BTF-compatible models.
Detachable GC-HPWR connector (click to enlarge)
Moreover, while previous BTF-compatible graphics cards could draw up to 600W from the motherboard, BTF 2.0 raises this limit to a powerful 1000W. While no consumer GPU currently requires this much power, flagship cards have gotten increasingly hungry. For example, Nvidia’s recently announced RTX 5090 has a power requirement of 575W.
GC-HPWR and HPCE connectors usually are not the one innovations within the BTF offer. Asus’s partner, DIY-APE, is already working on BTF 3.0, which goals to create a wireless connection between the power supply, motherboard and graphics processor.
This next-generation standard introduces a brand new connector on the back of the motherboard that may deliver up to 1,500 W of power to multiple system components. If widely adopted, BTF 3.0 will reduce the number of remaining cables in a PC to those for SATA devices and chassis components.