Vince Lucido aka KINGPIN might partner with PNY for future custom overclocked NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. Ever since EVGA announced it would depart from the graphics card market there has been speculation about whom the extreme overclocker might next collaborate with. At one point MSI looked to be a good fit given their extensive product lineup of overclocked cards but the same could be said for ASUS or even Galax. However, the ladder is still primarily only available overseas. This leaves GIGABYTE, PNY, and Zotac. Gamers Nexus caught up with KINGPIN during Computex 2024 where Steve Burke asked about his prospects.
GN was quick to point out the PNY 4090 graphics card on the testbench to which KINGPIN shared that it’s the first non-EVGA card he’s worked on in over 13 years. He was quite happy with the software that PNY uses and also respects the company’s “clean track record”, an issue that has come up more than one time with other GPU manufacturers and one that EVGA was well known for being a shining example of. The idea that KINGPIN might partner with PNY could seem strange but when factoring in a reputation for good customer service and reliable professional-tier products, things begin to make more sense.
What would it take to happen?
KINGPIN didn’t hold back on clarifying what would be needed to make this happen. There was no mention of the nitty gritty details of contracts, marketing, or money, but there was some groundwork laid out. Dedicated support with engineering and thermal teams would be a must to ensure quality control for new designs. He explained this had been in place with EVGA and led to every KINGPIN labeled product being exactly as designed and approved of. He and Steve also covered the basics of modern overclocking with NVIDIA’s GPU boost technology but also added how a custom card would likely utilize an AIO cooling solution as seen on EVGA’s RTX 3090 Ti cards since they can offer more overclocking headroom but other factors also control that.
For those wondering, Lucido quickly answered when asked about the new 12HPWR connectors, that he’s had no issues with them ever while overclocking. GN asked that if power limits ever became an issue what would the solution be, to which Lucido quickly expressed 2x 12VHPWR connectors. Lucido also added that he has personally never had any issue with the controversial connector during his testing. KINGPIN’s last collaborations with EVGA involved the RTX 3090 Ti which featured the connector, and one of the few cards that placed it at the end of the card instead of the side.
What does the future hold?
Lucido is keeping extremely busy with a wide variety of projects. From filming segments for his new YT channel to an ambitious-looking electric bike, and even an arcade claw machine, KINGPIN has many ideas in motion. The claw machine was inspired by their immense popularity in Asia which usually features different types of products instead of stuffed animals. The claw machine he put together featured his line of KINGPIN cooling products. Even with all of this, it’s just the tip of the iceberg as seen by GN when they toured his studio. KINGPIN might partner with PNY and it sounds like things are looking good but are currently in the early stages.