What is PinProtect?

PinProtect is a new power supply technology designed by CORSAIR to protect GPUs with a modern 12V-2x6 GPU connection. It is per-pin Over Current Protection (OCP) on the 12V-2x6 interface, so it monitors the current on the 12V2x6 port in real-time. If you have a high-powered GPU and have worried about the 12V-2x6 cable melting or getting damaged when running your GPU at full load, this technology will help protect your GPU and give you some peace of mind.

PinProtect provides real-time current monitoring for each of the six pins carrying 12V power to the GPU, and if the current on any pin exceeds a preset threshold for an extended period it limits the power to the GPU, causing GPU to turn itself off to prevent any potential damage.

When PinProtect first activates a user will not see anything different. If the current coming across one or more pins becomes abnormal, PinProtect will activate and monitor the affected power pins for a brief period to ensure it's not just a temporary power excursion. If the abnormal current persists for 30 seconds, the user will notice two things happen immediately.

The first is the user’s display will go black since the GPU will shut off, and second is the PSU fan will ramp to 100%, so you will hear the fan ramp up at the same time the screen goes black. The noise from the fan speed increase serves as an audible signal that your GPU has been shut down due to power irregularities.

If abnormal current persists, PinProtect will shut off your GPU, so you will be staring at a black screen and the PSU fan will be running at 100%. To proceed you should hold down the power button to shut off your system. Once it has fully powered down you need to examine the 12V-2x6 connection on both ends.

Disconnect the cable on both ends and securely reconnect them. The 12V-2x6 cable on newer CORSAIR power supplies features dual-tone connectors, which is a visual aid to make sure the connection is secure. When you insert the cable into the power supply and the GPU, the grey portion on the tip of the cable should not be visible at all. Once the grey disappears into the PSU/GPU, you know your connection is secure. Once the cable is connected you should also lightly tug on both ends of the cable as it should not come loose from either the PSU or GPU side.

PinProtect is designed to consider power excursions from your graphics card that exceed your GPU’s nominal power rating. By default, PinProtect has a built-in 30-second delay from when it’s triggered to when the GPU shuts off. During this period, it will keep monitoring the current on each pin and if power remains out of spec the GPU will eventually shut down. If power returns to normal, then it will be like nothing happened at all.

There is no overlay or on-screen notification because PinProtect is being deployed on power supplies without iCUE integration. If the PC and the iCUE software isn’t monitoring the power supply, the software has no way of notifying the user of an event.

However, there is a more advanced version of this technology called PinProtect+, which is featured on the HX1000i SHIFT Crystal. This is a power supply that features iCUE integration, and since PinProtect+ uses iCUE, it shows the users messages about what is happening as well as letting the user see in real-time what the current is across all the monitored pins.

You don’t have to do anything to enable this feature as it’s always running and cannot be turned off. It is technology built into the power supply as it’s always monitoring the current on the 12V-2x6 cable.

PinProtect+ is a more advanced version of the technology. It uses lower thresholds for current values, measures current in smaller increments and works with iCUE software as well for full control of its function as well as on-screen notifications. You can also view the current on each pin in real-time, so if you're the type of person who wants to monitor your 12V-2x6 activity and customize PinProtect settings, the + version might be up your alley. You can also disable PinProtect as well, which could be useful for someone doing extreme overclocking. PinProtect+ is only available on the recently announced CORSAIR HX1000i SHIFT CRYSTAL power supply.

As of the date of this publication PinProtect is only offered on the upcoming RM1200e. This is the flagship model of the RMe power supply lineup and is Cybenetics Platinum-certified with very quiet operation and a 10-year warranty.