ASUS's ROG Equalizer 16-Pin Cable shows a 9C drop in temps and lower voltage drops in real-world testing

Following earlier reports of melting power cables, ASUS recently introduced the ROG Equalizer, a new 12V-2x6 PCIe power cable designed to improve power delivery stability for modern GPUs. Now, a user has their hands on the cable, and the strong claims ASUS made about it appear to be holding up.

These findings come from Chiphell Forums via Uniko's Hardware, where a user received the ROG Equalizer bundled with a newer batch of the ROG Strix 1200W Platinum PSU. The user tested a GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5090D AORUS Master ICE under a 600W FurMark load, comparing the ROG Thor 1200W II using its stock cable against the new ROG Equalizer.

The results were apparent almost immediately under a thermal imager. The stock cable ran at 59.8°C while the ROG Equalizer cable came in at just 50.7°C, a notable 9°C gap under the same load. As intended, the ROG Equalizer distributes power more evenly across all wires, reducing the risk of hotspots caused by uneven load distribution. This design also helps keep the cable within the 105°C threshold, reducing the risk of current imbalance when a 16-pin cable isn't properly connected or is used under sustained stress.

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The voltage results were just as favorable for the ROG Equalizer. The stock cable reported a voltage drop of 0.08 to 0.14V from the nominal 12V, while the ROG Equalizer maintained a much tighter range of just 0.005 to 0.04V, well within the safe threshold of around 11.6V or higher.

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In terms of availability, ASUS has confirmed that ROG Equalizer bundles will roll out in Q2 2026 across select ROG Thor III and ROG Strix models. While official pricing for the Equalizer cable is still unannounced, Chiphell users report that the standard 1200W ROG Strix PSU will cost RMB 1,599, with the bundled Equalizer version at RMB 1,899, a RMB 300 gap that translates to roughly $41.

The cable will also reportedly be available separately through a Preferential Purchase Program for existing ROG PSU owners, potentially going on sale in May for around RMB 100, or around $14.