Product Information "12V-2x6 Connector PCIe-5.1"
Welcome to PCIe-5.1:
This 12V-2x6 cable-end connector is compatible with the 12V-2x6 (PCIe-5.1) PCB headers/sockets on your GPU as well as the previous 12VHPWR (PCIe-5.0) headers/sockets on the PCB of your GPU. The difference between the two names (12V-2x6 or 12VHPWR) refers to the PCB headers/sockets on the card itself.
The 12V-2x6 headers/sockets on the PCB must have "H++" stamped on them to identify the shorter signal pin position. The cable-end connector still has "H+" (or optionally in the future "H++") stamped on it, as there is no change in dimensions or distances compared to the revised PCB header/sockets. This connector is fully compatible with both PCB header versions.
What’s new with this PCIe-5.1 12V-2x6 cable-end connector?
The difference lies in the ampere rating of the crimp terminals: The included Amphenol crimp terminals are now rated for up to 12A! This massively exceeds the official PCIe-5.1 specification of 9.2A per crimp terminal. You can never have enough safety margin when dealing with such small connections carrying high currents.
With these high-quality components, you can build your own safe (!) PCIe-5.1 custom cables, as outlined in our PCIe-5.1 12V-2x6 and 12VHPWR custom cable guide. You don't need to sleeve the wires, but at least you have full control over the process and the final result.
The original 12A high-current Amphenol crimp terminals for 12V-2x6 connections feature:
✅ Single-seam design (not the potentially unsafe 2-seam design)
✅ Spring-type design (not the potentially unsafe dimple design)
✅ Horizontal alignment for maximum contact area
✅ Flat surface vertically – no contact-reducing dimples!
Technical details of the 12V-2x6 connector
- 12 pins for electrical power
- 4 pins for side-band information
Package includes:
When ordering one (1) connector, you will receive:
✅ 24x electrical power crimp terminals (twice the needed 12 contacts)
✅ 8x signal/side-band crimp terminals (twice the needed 4 contacts)
This allows you to practice crimping these smaller-than-usual crimp terminals (compared to ATX and common PCI-Express terminals).
Important knowledge for making custom PCIe-5.1 12V-2x6 cables
Refer to our PCIe-5.1 12V-2x6 and 12VHPWR custom cable guide as the smaller sizes introduce several limitations:
✅ Pin-to-pin distance (pitch): 3.00 mm (regular ATX/PCIe = 4.20 mm)
✅ Narrower wire insertion slot width: only 2.7 mm
✅ Smaller crimp terminals: more limited wire options
Maximum outer diameter of your power wire:
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Cannot exceed 2.7 mm! This includes both the wire insulation and the crimp terminal material.
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For signal/side-band crimp terminals: Use 23-AWG or 26-AWG wire (see gallery image for crimping technique tips).
Recommended wire types for power crimp terminals:
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Optimal choice: High-quality 17 AWG wire (max. 2.0 mm outer diameter) → easily handles 12-15A.
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PCIe-5.1 specification suggests: 16 AWG wire, but this may cause imperfect crimps, which pose a risk to your hardware.
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Not recommended: 18 AWG wire, as it falls too far from the original specs in terms of electrical capacity and could endanger your hardware.
Crimping tips using the CTX-3 crimping tool
- Insert the empty crimp terminal into the smallest crimping slot.
- Close the crimp tool handles only to the first stop.
- Strip the wire to a length between 2.5 to 3.0 mm.
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Insert the stripped wire correctly into the rear of the crimp terminal (as shown in the CTX-3 gallery).
- Close the handles until there is firm resistance – but don’t over-crimp!
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Use the "pre-opening technique":
- Utilize the small lever on the inside of the lower handle, as described in the CTX-3 product description.
Inserting the crimped wire into the connector:
🔹 The top of the crimp terminal faces the top of the connector.
🔹 The top of the connector is the side with the retention lock.
Optional: "Shrinkless" wire sleeving
For shrinkless sleeving, where the wire enters the connector directly, as demonstrated in our PCIe-5.1 12V-2x6 and 12VHPWR custom cable guide:
✅ Use our MICRO sleeve
✅ Use our high-quality 17 AWG wires (18 AWG is too weak for optimal electrical performance)
✅ Use our transparent MICRO heat shrink to perfectly melt the sleeving
Removing / Extracting crimp terminals from the connector
📌 Simply pull with enough force in the direction of the wire.
📌 Before reinserting, bend the retention hooks on the terminal back into their original position.
📌 Do not repeat this too often, as the fine hook structure could become damaged.
