ASUS ROG Equalizer cable tested again, der8auer questions 17A rating
Der8auer has published a follow-up test of the ASUS ROG Equalizer 12V-2×6 cable. For this premium cable, ASUS claims it can reduce current variation and increase wire load capacity from 9.2A to 17A per wire.
The new test focuses on the internal bridge inside the cable which connects both the 12V and ground wires in two groups. ASUS appears to use this design to even out current distribution, but his earlier test already showed a larger spread than expected across individual pins.
Less current imbalance without the bridge
In the follow-up test, der8auer removed the bridge and tested the same cable again. Before the modification, the cable showed a difference of around 4A between the highest and lowest loaded pins, with one pin near 10A and another near 6A. After removing the bridge, the spread dropped to around 1.5A , with the pins ranging from about 7.5A to just under 9A.
© Der8auer 
© Der8auer The teardown also looked at the connector contacts. ASUS uses gold-plated contacts on the Equalizer cable, while most GPU-side 12V-2×6 connectors still use tin-plated contacts. Der8auer used SEM and EDX analysis and found tin residue on the gold-plated contact area. He also noted that the real contact patch is much smaller than the full spring width, measuring roughly 0.2 to 0.4 mm in diameter.
Source: Der8auer
ASUS does use a different spring contact design. The company says the Equalizer has a four-spring contact design with 23% more width than a standard three-dimple design. Der8auer confirmed that the ASUS contact is slightly longer and wider than some other samples, but he questioned whether this is enough to justify the claimed jump from 9.2A to 17A per wire.
Der8auer does not say the cable is unsafe. His point is that the advertised benefit is difficult to prove from this test. After taking the cable apart, he found that removing the bridge actually improved current balance, while the gold-to-tin contact pairing adds another variable. Since we have no reason to doubt Roman’s testing methods, the $50 price that ASUS put on this premium cable may not necessarily make a lot of sense.
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