The WireView Pro 2 Is Coming Out This Year – Founder Thanks Nvidia for Its Faulty Connector
Key Takeaways
- Thermal Grizzly unveiled its WireView Pro 2, a device that monitors the current and temperature of the 12VHPWR power connector.
- This improved version also offers data logging for 3 months and is expected to be priced at $100.
- The WireView Pro 2 will come out by the end of the year with better hardware and software compatibility.
The WireView GPU Pro is a device from Thermal Grizzly that measures the power consumption of a graphics card.
The device connects to the 12VHPWR power connector of the graphics card and is hooked up to the power supply through a power cable. You can then see the power consumption data on an OLED screen.
It also features a connection detector and temperature sensors, as well as a buzzer for audio warnings for overheating. The device measures power consumption every 60 seconds and can be used to monitor consumption over a given period of time.
Interestingly, Thermal Grizzly is already planning the WireView Pro II, which will be an updated version of its predecessor. Instead of the 60-second window, it will record metrics (current, voltage, and temperature) every 5 seconds and store data for up to 3 months.
The WireView Pro uses per-pin sensing to monitor each of the 16 pins of the 12VHPWR connector. This way, it can identify which pin carries too much current, which one is loose or oxidized, and will also detect anomalies quickly.
The aim here is to identify issues before they cause any permanent damage. However, Roman from Thermal Grizzly also acknowledged that this might not always be the case, as overheating may occur due to subtle resistance at a contact point.
He also said that WireView isn't entirely fail-proof. Out of the 3,700 units sold that use a 12VHPWR connector, 12 had issues with melted connectors, which boils down to a failure rate of 0.3%. Although not alarmingly high, Thermal Grizzly is learning from failures' to develop a better version.
Source: YouTube, Hardware UnboxedThere's also a small two-pin connector near the WireView USB-C port and a Y-splitter cable, which can connect it to the motherboard's power button. That way, it can trigger a system shutdown if needed.
The USB-C port can also be used to hook the WireView up with your PC and configure settings via compatible software. You can store data, including potentially images or other files, and then uninstall the software. The device will work independently.
All Thanks to Nvidia?Roman sarcastically thanked Nvidia for its poor 12VHPWR connector, which led to the conceptualization of a product like WireView. Nvidia's 12VHPWR is often used in high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 and has been reported to melt or overheat.
People have even lost entire GPUs because of this. A simple product like WireView, though, has helped people keep a watch on temperatures and save thousands of dollars.
One man's loss is another man's gain, as they say. And it has proven to be absolutely correct in the case of Thermal Grizzly. Had NVIDIA not messed up their connector, a whole new product would never have been born. Sure, Nvidia has upgraded its 12VHPWR connector over time to introduce a better version, but the reputational damage is already done.
The WireView Pro 2 is expected to come out by the end of this year at a price of around $100.
It costs around $25 more than an earlier version due to a custom 12VHPWR connector, which would require at least 3 months for production. Plus, considering improved hardware, per-pin current sensing, and software compatibility, the $100 price point seems to be pretty reasonable.
Obviously, Nvidia can throw a curveball and move away from the 12VHPWR to a new connector standard, making products like the WireView Pro incompatible with various GPU versions. However, this is easier said than done, considering cost and operational challenges.
The post The WireView Pro 2 Is Coming Out This Year - Founder Thanks Nvidia for Its Faulty Connector appeared first on Techreport.