PCI-SIG PCIe CEM 5.1 / Intel ATX 3.1
12V-2x6 (12VHPWR) 16-Pin GPU Power Connector Pinout
The 12V-2x6 connector feeds up to 600 W of 12 V power to a graphics card through twelve power contacts, while four small sideband pins tell the card how much it may draw. Select a contact to see its role.
Before you wire
- Push the plug fully in until the latch engages (Intel specifies at least 45 N retention). The shorter sideband pins connect only once the power pins are fully mated.
- If both SENSE pins are open, for example a plug that is not fully seated, a 12V-2x6 card must draw 0 W through the connector.
Pin assignment
- Power
- Ground
- Control
Schematic face view, not to scale · numbering per PCI-SIG PCIe CEM 5.1 / Intel ATX 3.1
| Pin | Signal | Function | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| +12V | +12 VDC power contact (one of six; 9.2 A per contact, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| +12V | +12 VDC power contact (one of six; 9.2 A per contact, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| +12V | +12 VDC power contact (one of six; 9.2 A per contact, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| +12V | +12 VDC power contact (one of six; 9.2 A per contact, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| +12V | +12 VDC power contact (one of six; 9.2 A per contact, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| +12V | +12 VDC power contact (one of six; 9.2 A per contact, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| GND | Ground return (one of six, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| GND | Ground return (one of six, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| GND | Ground return (one of six, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| GND | Ground return (one of six, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| GND | Ground return (one of six, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| GND | Ground return (one of six, 16 AWG wire) | Standard | |
| CARD_PWR_STABLE | Sideband S1: optional power-good signal from the graphics card; it pulls the line low when its own power rails are out of limits | Standard | |
| CARD_CBL_PRES# | Sideband S2: lets the power supply see that the connector is correctly attached to a graphics card, which terminates this line | Standard | |
| SENSE0 | Sideband S3: power-limit strap; with SENSE1 it tells the card how much it may draw (0, 150, 300, 450 or 600 W) | Standard | |
| SENSE1 | Sideband S4: power-limit strap; both SENSE pins open means 0 W, both grounded means up to 600 W | Standard |
Pin details
Select a pin on the diagram or table for full details.
About this connector
Sixteen-contact 12 V graphics card power connector: six +12 V and six ground contacts on 3.0 mm pitch plus four sideband signals that set the 0 to 600 W limit.
Notes
- The contact map shows the header on the graphics card, front view, as in Intel Figure 5-7: the latch is above the ground row. The cable plug uses the same pin numbers.
- Each power contact is rated 9.2 A at a 30 °C temperature rise. At 600 W each of the six +12 V contacts carries about 8.3 A, so the margin is small.
- 12V-2x6 (ATX 3.1, PCIe CEM 5.1) replaced 12VHPWR: in the card's header the power pins are longer and the sideband pins shorter, marked H++ instead of H+. Existing cable plugs still fit.
Common use cases
- High-power graphics cards, up to 600 W from one connector
- ATX 3.x power supplies, often as a double-ended modular cable
Specifications
- Standard
- 12 power contacts on 3.0 mm pitch + 4 sideband contacts
- Positions
- 16
Primary sources
- Intel ATX12VO (12V Only) Desktop Power Supply Design Guide, doc 613768 rev 2.11 (May 2024): §5.2.2.4.3, Table 5-10 (12V-2x6 pin assignment) and Figure 5-7 (PCB header front view)
- Intel ATX Version 3.0 Multi-Rail Desktop Platform Power Supply Design Guide (doc 336521 rev 2.1), Table 3-6: 12V-2x6 SENSE0/SENSE1 power limits
Help keep this page accurate
Checked this pinout against your board or connector? Confirm it, or report a pin, voltage or orientation that does not match.
Opens a public form on GitHub with this page already filled in; a free GitHub account is needed. How reports and confirmations work