PCIe X16 4.0 Graphics Card Extension Cable – VTC-APEBB003HB02-K2

The VITALCONN VTC-APEBB003HB02-K2 is a PCIe 4.0 x16 graphics card extension cable with full 16-channel bandwidth. Built with 30 AWG high-frequency copper twin-axial conductors, 85 ohm controlled impedance, and per-pair shielding. Supports 16 GT/s per lane, backward compatible to PCIe 3.0/2.0/1.0. Designed for GPU vertical mounting, multi-GPU workstations, and open test platforms.

Product Type	PCIe x16 Graphics Card Extension Cable
Protocol	PCIe 4.0 (backward compatible 3.0/2.0/1.0)
Data Rate	16 GT/s per lane
Channel Count	x16 (16 lanes, no bifurcation)
Input Connector	1x PCIe x16 male edge-card (PCI-SIG standard key)
Output Connector	1x PCIe x16 female slot
Conductor	30 AWG high-frequency copper, twin-axial
Differential Impedance	85±5Ω
Shielding	Per-pair independent + overall shielding
Cable Length	0.5 m, 0.8 m (OEM 0.1-1.5 m)
Operating Temperature	0°C to +70°C
Locking	PCIe standard latch + gold-finger pad
Compliance	RoHS 2.0, China RoHS, REACH SVHC

The VTC-APEBB003HB02-K2 is a premium PCIe X16 4.0 graphics card extension cable from VITALCONN, engineered to deliver the full 16-channel bandwidth of a PCIe x16 slot over extended distances. The cable has PCIe x16 standard edge-card connectors (PCI-SIG keying) on both ends, allowing a graphics card to be physically relocated from the motherboard — perfect for vertical mounting, GPU heat-pipe airflow optimization, multi-card parallel installations, or open test/compute platforms.

Built around 30 AWG high-frequency copper twin-axial conductors with per-pair independent shielding and tightly controlled 85 Ω differential impedance, the cable sustains 16 GT/s per lane (PCIe 4.0) signaling with excellent eye-diagram margin and minimal jitter over typical extension distances (0.3 m to 0.6 m). Aggregate bidirectional bandwidth reaches up to 256 GB/s (uni-directional 128 GB/s), ensuring no PCIe link downgrade to x8 or x4 even with high-end GeForce, Quadro, Radeon, or compute GPUs.

Standard lengths of 0.5 m and 0.8 m are in stock; OEM custom lengths from 0.1 m to 1.5 m are available to support a wide range of chassis layouts. Each unit is factory-tested for PCIe 4.0 link training and bit-error rate, ensuring plug-and-play reliability out of the box. As part of the VITALCONN High Speed Cable family, it ships from stock with OEM options. For interface requirements, refer to the official PCI-SIG PCIe 4.0 specification.

PCIe X16 4.0 Graphics Card Extension Cable Specifications

Part Number: VTC-APEBB003HB02-K2
Product Type: PCIe 4.0 x16 Graphics Card Extension Cable
Connectors: 1x PCIe x16 male (PCI-SIG standard key) to 1x PCIe x16 female (slot)
Channel Count: 16 lanes (full x16, no bifurcation)
Protocol Support: PCIe 4.0 (backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 / 2.0 / 1.0)
Data Rate: 16 GT/s per lane (PCIe 4.0)
Aggregate Bandwidth: Up to 256 GB/s bi-directional (128 GB/s uni-directional)
Conductor Material: 30 AWG high-frequency copper, twin-axial structure
Differential Impedance: 85 ± 5 Ω
Shielding: Per-pair independent shielding + overall shielding
Standard Lengths: 0.5 m, 0.8 m (OEM 0.1–1.5 m available)
Operating Temperature: 0°C to +70°C
Storage Temperature: -20°C to +85°C
Locking Mechanism: PCIe standard latch on slot end; gold-finger pad on plug end
Compliance: RoHS 2.0, China RoHS, REACH SVHC

Key Features

Full x16 Channel, No Link Downgrade

Preserves all 16 PCIe data channels end-to-end, so high-end GPUs continue to negotiate x16 even when physically relocated — no forced downgrade to x8 or x4.

PCIe 4.0 16 GT/s Ready

Engineered to sustain 16 GT/s per lane (PCIe 4.0) with excellent eye-diagram and timing margin; backward compatible with PCIe 3.0/2.0/1.0 for legacy GPUs and platforms.

30 AWG High-Frequency Copper

30 AWG high-frequency copper twin-axial conductors minimize skin-effect loss and intra-pair skew at multi-GHz signaling rates, ensuring long-term signal integrity.

85Ω Controlled Impedance

Tight 85±5Ω differential impedance match eliminates reflections and inter-symbol interference, sustaining BER well below 1e-12 at PCIe 4.0 rates.

Per-Pair Independent Shielding

Each differential pair is individually shielded, suppressing alien crosstalk and external EMI in dense multi-GPU chassis and open-frame compute rigs.

Gold-Plated Edge Contacts

PCI-SIG standard gold-finger edge contact with gold-plated PCB pad on the slot end provides low contact resistance and excellent corrosion resistance across thousands of insertion cycles.

Flexible Cable Routing

Soft, flexible cable jacket enables clean routing through chassis grommets, drive bays, and 90° bends without damaging internal conductors — ideal for tight ITX and SFF builds.

OEM Custom Lengths & Labels

Standard 0.5 m / 0.8 m in stock; custom lengths 0.1–1.5 m and OEM private-label marking available on request to match your chassis layout exactly.

Packing Details

Standard Lengths: 0.5 m, 0.8 m (custom 0.1–1.5 m on request)
Individual Packing: Anti-static PE bag per cable
Outer Carton: 30 pcs / carton (length-dependent)
Carton Labeling: VITALCONN part number, lot number, quantity, date code
Documents Included: Compliance certificate (RoHS 2.0, REACH), inspection report

PCIe X16 4.0 Graphics Card Extension Cable Applications

The PCIe X16 4.0 graphics card extension cable is deployed wherever a graphics card must be physically separated from the motherboard slot without losing bandwidth:

Vertical GPU mounting in mid-tower and full-tower cases for improved heat-pipe airflow and aesthetic display
2U / 4U rack-mount servers relocating GPUs away from the CPU for thermal isolation and power-supply routing
Multi-GPU workstations where the motherboard’s native slot pitch cannot accommodate dual- or triple-slot cards
Open-frame test platforms, mining rigs, and compute farms that need to physically separate the GPU from the host for serviceability
Chassis modding and showcase builds (custom loops, water-cooled GPU mounts, wall-mounted ITX builds)
Validation labs and protocol analyzers that need to flex a GPU for measurement access without reseating the card

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the new VTC-APEBB003HB02-K2 model number based on?

A: The VTC-APEBB003HB02-K2 is VITALCONN’s house-branded version of an industry-standard PCIe X16 4.0 graphics card extension cable. The “VTC-” prefix indicates VITALCONN’s OEM product family, and the “-K2” suffix denotes our second internal revision (improved strain relief, tighter impedance tolerance, and enhanced QC test coverage versus K1).

Q: Will this cable support PCIe 5.0 GPUs?

A: This cable is designed and tested for PCIe 4.0 (16 GT/s per lane). For PCIe 5.0 (32 GT/s) deployment, VITALCONN offers a dedicated PCIe 5.0 extension cable (VTC-APExxxxx-K2 series) that meets the tighter signal-integrity budget required at 32 GT/s. Please contact sales for the matching SKU.

Q: Does the cable downgrade the PCIe link to x8 or x4?

A: No. The cable uses 16 full data channels and the PCI-SIG standard x16 edge-card keying, so the host and GPU will continue to negotiate a full x16 link at the highest mutually supported speed (PCIe 4.0 / 3.0 / 2.0 / 1.0).

Q: Is this cable backward compatible with older GPUs?

A: Yes. The cable auto-negotiates to the highest common rate between the host and the endpoint, so PCIe 3.0/2.0/1.0 GPUs and motherboards work seamlessly. Older systems benefit from the same mechanical build and shielding quality.

Q: How long can the extension be without losing signal integrity?

A: For PCIe 4.0 (16 GT/s), typical safe extension is 0.3 m to 0.6 m. VITALCONN offers OEM custom lengths up to 1.5 m for PCIe 3.0/2.0 deployments, but at PCIe 4.0 speeds, longer runs may incur signal-integrity penalties (eye-height reduction, retraining, or link down-train to PCIe 3.0).

Q: What GPUs are compatible?

A: All standard PCIe x16 graphics cards work, including NVIDIA GeForce / Quadro / RTX / Tesla / A-series data-center GPUs and AMD Radeon / Radeon Pro / Instinct accelerators. The cable follows the PCI-SIG standard edge-card keying and supports any standard x16 mechanical fit.

Q: Can I use this cable for non-GPU PCIe devices (NVMe, NIC, capture card)?

A: Yes. The cable is electrically compatible with any standard PCIe x16 add-in card. For NVMe SSD adapters and NICs, the same signal-integrity benefits apply, though mechanical compatibility with the host card’s bracket should be verified for your chassis.

Q: Where can I order this PCIe X16 4.0 graphics card extension cable?
A: Contact VITALCONN (www.vitalconn.com) with the part number above. Samples, OEM custom lengths, and volume pricing for this PCIe X16 4.0 graphics card extension cable are available with typical lead times of 2-4 weeks.