A tiny mini PC with a full desktop GPU
Mini PCs keep pushing the limits of how much hardware you can squeeze into a tiny box, and Zotac’s Magnus EN series is a perfect example. This compact mini workstation manages to fit a full desktop Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti inside a very small chassis, without relying on the usual external GPU power connectors.
On the outside, it looks like just another high end mini PC. Inside, there is a surprisingly inventive design that changes how the graphics card gets its power. Instead of using the standard 8 pin or 12 volt GPU cables you see in most gaming desktops, Zotac is feeding the RTX 5060 Ti directly through the PCI Express connector in a very unusual way.
Hardware site HKEPC tore down the Magnus EN and revealed how Zotac pulled this off. Their findings were shared and amplified by hardware watchers like Unikoshardware and Wccftech, and the result is a neat glimpse into the future of ultra compact gaming and workstation rigs.
How Zotac powers an RTX 5060 Ti without an 8 pin cable
At first glance, the RTX 5060 Ti inside the Magnus EN looks like a typical desktop graphics card, just adapted to fit the limited space of a mini PC. The surprise is that there is no external power connector on the card at all. No 6 pin, no 8 pin, nothing. Traditionally that would be impossible for a card with a 180 watt TDP, which normally draws power both from the PCI Express slot and from a separate cable.
GPU Z, a utility that reports graphics card details, shows an unusual entry for this card. The bus interface is listed as PCIe x8 5.0 @ x8 5.0, instead of the more familiar PCIe x16 5.0 entry that a typical RTX 5060 Ti would show. That suggests the usual x16 connector is not being used in a standard way.
Looking more closely at the card, the PCI Express edge connector is actually split into two distinct sections. Here is what is going on.
- One part of the connector carries the data lanes like a normal PCIe x8 link. This handles all the communication between the GPU and the system.
- The other split off section is not used for high speed signalling at all. Instead it is dedicated to power delivery and is fed with a 19 volt input straight from the system.
So instead of sending only 12 volts and pulling the rest of the power through a regular 8 pin cable, Zotac sends a higher 19 volt feed through this custom part of the slot. Because the voltage is higher, each pin can carry less current for the same total power. Less current per pin means less heat and less stress on the connector.
This is different from Asus BTF designs, where extra power pads are added behind the motherboard to hide cables and feed the GPU from the board. With BTF cards, the regular x16 PCIe connector is still there and power pads are additional. In Zotac’s design, the single PCIe edge connector is split into a data half and a power half, all within the same footprint.
The key enabler is the relatively modest power target of the RTX 5060 Ti. At around 180 watts, it is not as demanding as top tier GPUs, which can push 300 watts or more. That makes it realistic to power the card exclusively through a specially engineered slot without cooking the connector.
Why this matters for compact gaming and workstations
This custom power delivery setup is clearly about saving space. Mini PCs always fight for every millimeter of room. Removing an 8 pin power plug and the associated cable routing frees up valuable volume for airflow, storage, or just a smaller overall chassis.
By keeping the GPU powered entirely through the slot, Zotac can also simplify internal cable management. Fewer cables mean cleaner airflow paths, which is important in systems that use small fans and tight heatsinks. Any reduction in clutter can help keep noise and temperatures under control.
There are trade offs though.
- The bespoke connector and board layout are likely more complex and expensive to design and manufacture than simply making a custom short PCB and using a standard 8 pin plug.
- This GPU is effectively proprietary to this system. You cannot easily drop it into a normal desktop motherboard, and you cannot just slot in an off the shelf RTX card into this mini PC.
- Servicing and upgrades are more limited. If the GPU fails out of warranty, you are relying on Zotac for a matching replacement.
All of that helps explain the high asking price. In its China launch, the Magnus EN configuration was listed at around two thousand dollars. That is a lot of money for a mini workstation, especially when you consider that it is probably not the fully maxed out version. The system can support up to 96 gigabytes of DDR5 6400 memory, and current memory pricing is elevated due to supply pressures and demand from AI and data center workloads.
For most gamers, this kind of mini PC is more of a showcase of what is possible than a sensible value buy. A custom built desktop with an RTX 5060 Ti will almost certainly be cheaper, easier to upgrade, and more flexible for future GPUs. However, for people who want a very compact and powerful workstation class machine, and who are willing to pay for that form factor, the Magnus EN shows how far manufacturers can push small form factor engineering.
It also hints at where the industry might be heading. As power efficiency continues to improve and PCI Express standards evolve, we may see more creative uses of the slot for both power and data. Hidden or integrated GPU power might eventually become more common, especially in premium compact systems and cable free builds.
For now, Zotac’s split connector design is a clever one off solution that makes the Magnus EN stand out. It crams a true desktop RTX 5060 Ti into a tiny chassis, keeps the front facing clean of cables, and shows just how inventive mini PC manufacturers can get when they are determined to shrink high performance hardware into a box you can hold in one hand.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/graphics-cards/this-zotac-mini-pc-has-an-inventive-way-of-ditching-its-rtx-5060-tis-power-cables-and-no-its-not-the-same-as-the-asus-btf-way/
