Asus shows off connector-less Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU

Asus has shown off a new variation on the RTX 4070, one that doesn’t use any cables to connect to the motherboard – and it could be launching sooner than you think.

Asus is firing on all cylinders at Computex 2023. After the launch of the ROG Ally, and facing firey issues with AMD’s latest CPUs on their motherboards, the company is attempting to shift the conversation over to new products. Now, the company has shown off an innovative new concept, an RTX 4070 GPU that has no power plug.

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The RTX 4070 shown off features the same PCIe connector on the bottom but is joined by a smaller, additional PCIe connector that feeds the device power. There are no power cables needed on the GPU, as the PCIe slot allows for 600W of power to be fed into it.

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Speaking with WccfTech, Asus says that this is a proprietary connection, and will require a specific motherboard to power it. Without any power connectors, it simply won’t function. Currently, Asus is showing off its new version of the RTX 4070 on an upcoming Z790 TUF Gaming that has an additional PCIe key for the power connector.

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Currently dubbed “GC_HPWR”, the board aims to make PC building and cable management much easier. While the GPU has no cables, Asus has moved all the required power connectors onto the back of the motherboard. In images, the typical ports found on the GPU are simply moved to the motherboard itself.

Asus plans to launch its new connector-less motherboards later this year

This would require a case that has enough space in the section underneath where the motherboard is screwed in. Many modern PC cases are now purpose-built with cable management in mind, and this shouldn’t be too much of a hassle to work around.

In the event, you end up with one of these connector-less motherboards, a regular GPU will do just fine inside, but will require a traditional cable.

Asus has said that these will cost more than your typical hardware, as it requires a little more effort to manufacture. The motherboards will launch later this year and are planned for a global release, with GPUs sure to follow after.