NVIDIA forced EVGA to use a single 12VHPWR connector on the RTX 3090 Ti KINGPIN instead of the dual-connector design that legendary overclocker Vince Lucido requested. This technical disagreement severely disrupted the production timeline and limited post-launch availability of the card. Buyers who wanted maximum control over high-end hardware design found their options restricted by this mandate.
Connector mandate disrupted production and limited availability
The conflict centers on the EVGA RTX 3090 Ti KINGPIN graphics card, a product designed for extreme performance. Lucido argued that users spending over $5000 on a graphics card should have full control over its physical design. He stated, "If you're gonna spend $5000+ on a card, you should really be able to do whatever you want with it".
The core technical dispute involved the power connector interface. NVIDIA mandated a single 12VHPWR connector, overriding Lucido's preference for a dual-connector setup. This design choice directly impacted the card's launch schedule and limited the number of units available to consumers.
This friction was part of a broader pattern of conflict between EVGA and NVIDIA. Disagreements over pricing mandates and competition from the Founders Edition were primary reasons EVGA exited the GPU market in 2022. Lucido is now building a relationship with ASUS for a potential future KINGPIN collaboration that prioritizes maximum silicon potential without user mods under LN2 cooling.
Source: TweakTown
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