OptiGuard™ is an innovative solution from Seasonic that protects your PC from overheating or other thermal damage. Powered by cutting-edge technology, our power supplies are ready to handle even the most demanding tasks and extreme voltage loads. They provide outstanding protection for your GPU and CPU, ensuring reliable and high-performance operation. Find out more about the new Seasonic innovation in this article.
What is the OptiGuard™ feature in power supplies?
OptiGuard™ is a new feature under the OptiTech™ umbrella name from Seasonic. It’s a brand new technology geared toward making a Seasonic power supply a custom-tweaked, flawlessly working, super-efficient unit.
OptiGuard™ is an advanced safety feature primarily designed to protect systems using high-power graphics cards. The powerful GPUs often create an unbalanced load, potentially causing one contact to overheat and melt the cable or connector.
Recognizing the increased need to protect equipment in the most effective way possible, Seasonic engineers developed a reliable solution to avoid any damage that could result from overheating or overload.
How does OptiGuard work? Sensors on each of the 12V-2×6 connectors constantly monitor the current. In an integrated chip, the collected data is processed, and if there are any anomalies (like overload or overheating), the protection function kicks in. First, the user gets a warning, and if the issue is not fixed, the system shuts down the power.
Emergency shutdowns may affect tasks or risk data loss, but they are still safer than hardware damage. Keeping this in mind, Seasonic is already working on the next OptiGuard™ version with motherboard integration for further optimizing the way shutdowns occur.
Typical problems solved by OptiGuard™
The foremost issue that OptiGuard™ solves is protecting the system from any damage that would result from the overheating of 12V‑2×6 / 12VHPWR cables in situations when the current is not evenly distributed across the individual wires. This problem is particularly relevant for powerful RTX 40/50 series GPUs, which can cause the plastic connector to melt.
The Seasonic OptiGuard™ technology not only detects peak current overloads due to uneven power distribution, but it also detects dangerous hotspots on connectors caused by unsecured contacts or increased resistance, which can also lead to cable overheating.
Thus, OptiGuard™ significantly improves the safety of modern systems with powerful graphics cards, providing real-time monitoring and protection of key power nodes. Seasonic’s innovative solution keeps your system fully protected from overheating while you can focus on your work.
What is real-time current monitoring in preventing overheating?
Real-time current monitoring is the constant measurement of electric current over a long period of time through special sensors. These sensors are usually installed at the PSU output, on the cables, or at the GPU connectors.
What does this system do to keep PC components cool and safe? Diagnostics can catch anomalies in your system at an early stage. It helps you notice it in time and fix it before serious damage is done. When there is overload or uneven current distribution (for example, if a conductor takes too much load), proper monitoring detects it right away.
If a measured value exceeds the set limits, the user receives instant notification, either visual, audible, or software-based. If the situation does not improve and the temperature keeps increasing, the safety system steps in and cuts the power to keep your GPU and cables from getting damaged or melting.
Why do connectors overheat in high-performance PC systems?
There are a few key reasons why overheating may occur.
1. Irregular current distribution
Different wires in a power cable can carry different currents. For example, one wire may carry 22 A, while others carry significantly less. There have been cases with RTX 5090 GPUs when irregular current distribution caused temperatures to rise above 150 °C.
2. High-resistance connection
Poor contact, insufficient contact crimping, or oxidation increases resistance, and when current flows through a high-resistance connection, it generates significant excess heat. The consequences of such overheating can damage the connectors, the wires, and eventually all other PC components.
3. Contact wear and oxidation
During operation, contacts may wear out or accumulate layers of dust or oxidation, which also increases their resistance and potentially can lead to the overheating of the PC components.
4. Peak current surges
Overheating may also be caused by short-term peak currents, which can be twice as high as the nominal value on modern GPUs. Such occurrences can be caused by problems with the electricity or an unstable power supply.
To stay on the safe side and avoid overheating in general, we recommend replacing old components on time, conducting technical maintenance once a year, and monitoring and reacting to any changes in your PC’s operation.
How does OptiGuard™ detect damaged connectors?
OptiGuard™ detects damaged connectors through a comprehensive process of real-time monitoring current and temperature parameters. Each of the six 12V-2×6 contacts has a sensor that continuously takes a measurement of the current flowing through it.
When thermal sensors are directly located at each end of the connectors, rising temperatures of the contacts and cables can be detected when they start. Even if just one of the contacts begins to carry too much load due to damage or poor contact, the respective sensor instantly detects this as abnormally high current.
After detection, a protection chip in the PSU compares the measured data against the benchmark values, and when energy or temperature exceedances are detected, the system recognizes that this is potentially dangerous and initiates action.
OptiGuard™ first alerts the user so that they can respond in time. For example, by checking or replacing the cable. When the excess heat persists or gets worse, the system shuts down automatically. This is a necessary action to prevent further damage, such as melting connectors or damaging the GPU or other components.
Which types of connectors benefit most from OptiGuard™ protection?
The OptiGuard™ protection affects the following connectors in modern GPUs:
- 12V‑2×6 (or 12VHPWR, 16-pin) – These are most prone to overheating, especially with unstable current supply or poor contact. Seasonic monitors each of the six pins on the 12V‑2×6 cable and also the temperature at both ends of the connector to prevent overheating or potential melting.
- PCIe 6+2-pin connectors – It’s important to protect them when using adapters or old cables. When the connection is bad or the load is too high, increased resistance and overheating can occur.
- New ATX 3 / PCIe 5 standards, which support up to 600 W of power, also include sensors in the connectors to protect PC components under high loads.
How does OptiGuard™ affect long-term PSU and hardware safety?
OptiGuard™ is part of Seasonic’s OptiTech™ family of Seasonic protective features, first presented at Computex 2025. This technology aims to improve the reliability and durability of the PSU and hardware safety for stable operation in the long run.
Together with OptiSink™, which improves heat dissipation for MOSFETs and other chips, OptiGuard™ further prevents overheating at the most critical place where it occurs: the connectors and cables. As practice shows, one of the main causes of premature wear or system failure occurs at the connectors and cables.
Thanks to OptiGuard™, constant monitoring and smart analysis help catch issues like hotspots early. Before they become critical or even noticeable. This reduces stress on the PSU’s internal components and contributes to a longer, more reliable service life.
A clear sign of the technology’s reliability is that Seasonic is integrating OptiGuard™ into its flagship PRIME series (PSU 80 PLUS® Titanium certified), backed by an impressive 12-year warranty, which adds confidence to how long Seasonic’s products will las and also gives you a peace of mind that your PC will run smoothly and reliably, thanks to a solid, stable power supply.
Can OptiGuard™ help avoid GPU and motherboard damage?
Yes, it can! OptiGuard™ helps prevent damage to the GPU and motherboard through its great design.
First, OptiGuard™ technology monitors the current and temperature levels at the connectors. The system tracks each of the six 12V-2×6 cables and the temperature on both sides of the connector. This system spots unusual current spikes or the overheating of cables, two big risk factors that can cause damage by melting the GPU or motherboard connectors.
Secondly, OptiGuard™ has a two-stage response to anomalies. Initially, when an overload or overheating is detected, the system first alerts the user. This can be an audible signal or a message on the PC monitor. If the user ignores the warning and the cables keep heating up, the system will automatically shut off the power to prevent damage.
The Seasonic OptiGuard™ feature works alongside the proper usage of the Seasonic PSU calculator, which ensures that your system is properly powered and protected from overheating or electrical issues.
What’s the difference between OptiGuard™ and traditional protection circuits?
Seasonic’s OptiGuard™ is different from traditional protection circuits in power supplies because it continuously and closely monitors the electric current and the temperatures to keep your system safe. Traditional protections, such as overload, short circuit, or overvoltage protection, typically respond only to general anomalies in PSU operation. Traditional protection circuits cannot spot small issues happening at individual connector pins, which is especially important for modern, powerful graphics cards.
OptiGuard™ checks the current on each of the six 12V-2×6 or 12VHPWR pins separately. It also measures the temperature at both ends of the connector all the time. This helps the system to spot unstable current flow, which can cause overheating and damage to GPU connectors. Thanks to these innovative individual sensors, OptiGuard™ can find hotspots on connectors and cables early, often, before the user notices any problem.
If the system ever detects that preset limits are exceeded, it first warns the user with a light or sound, to give the person a chance to fix the problem. If the warning is not acted upon and the risk of overheating continues, OptiGuard™ automatically shuts down the system power to protect the GPU, motherboard, and power supply from serious damage.
In summary, the main advantage of OptiGuard™ versus traditional protection features is clear; OptiGuard™ is a modern, sophisticated, and more intelligent protection system as it focuses specifically on the typical problems of modern high-performance PCs. OptiGuard™ provides an additional level of important security for your PC, and it also extends the life of all components.
What Seasonic experts say about OptiGuard™
Seasonic considers OptiGuard™ a key innovation for protecting modern power supplies and high-performance PCs. According to the company’s experts, this technology helps avoid common problems with overheating of 12V-2×6 and 12VHPWR connectors. Such cases often occur due to irregular current flow or poor contact.
OptiGuard™ keeps an eye on each pin and the temperature of the connectors. If something goes wrong, it quickly spots the issue and warns the user. If the issue continues on, it automatically shuts down the power supply. This extreme step is a must to prevent damage to expensive equipment.
Experts also emphasize that OptiGuard™ is part of the broader OptiTech™ system. It ensures the overall durability and stability of the PSU in the long run. In the future, Seasonic plans to integrate the OptiGuard™ concept with the motherboard to make the emergency shutdown process smoother and safer, without any potential loss of progress or data that may occur during an emergency shutdown.
Overall, for Seasonic, working on the OptiGuard™ technology is a very important step toward improving the reliability of high-performance systems, as it also enhances the safety for PCs that are operating under heavy or fluctuating loads.
Conclusions
Seasonic’s OptiGuard™ is a smart and brand-new technology that makes power supplies and GPUs much safer and more reliable in powerful computers that handle “heavy” tasks. Even under the heaviest load, OptiGuard™ makes sure that the computer runs smoothly, stays stable, and lasts a long time.
Thanks to the implementation of OptiGuard™, Seasonic power supplies demonstrate exceptional resistance to the risks of overheating and damage that can lead to the failure of expensive components. The reliability of this technology is confirmed by its integration into the PRIME series premium power supplies, backed by a 12-year warranty from Seasonic.
OptiGuard™ sets a new standard of quality for professional and home PC users who expect maximum protection, efficiency, and long-term stability from their equipment.
To ensure a long service life for your power supply and system, we recommend choosing a power supply using the Seasonic wattage calculator and selecting a power supply featuring OptiGuard™. The calculator will help you determine the power required for your system, and OptiGuard™ will protect the contacts from overheating and ensure the stable operation of each PC component.