RTX 5090 GPU power connector melted while using a third-party cable

HARDWARE NEWS manhkbrady - Feb 11, 2025, 9:00 AM - 1 comments

A Reddit user named ivan6953 (reported by Videocardz) has confirmed that the 12VHPWR cable they employed with their RTX 5090 GPU has melted. The user mentioned that the "cable was securely fastened and clicked" but that they utilized a "3rd party cable." This cable had previously powered the same PC with an RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card.

The images shared by the user show damage and melting occurred on both the PSU and GPU sides of their 12VHPWR cable. It's notable that the damage was more pronounced on the PSU side of the connector. Ivan6953 utilizes a custom ModDIY cable in conjunction with an ASUS ROG Loki SFX-L power supply.

It’s important to point out that the cable and PSU are using 12VHPWR (PCIe 5.0) and not 12V-2×6 (PCIe 5.1) cables/connectors, which may clarify why the PSU side experienced more damage than the GPU side.

Melted cables on a graphics card. A 3rd party adapter has melted, indicating power delivery issues.

The Redditor reported noticing a burning odor while playing Battlefield 5. Their GPU was allegedly drawing between 500-520W of power. Below, one can observe the condition of their GPU’s power cable after shutting down the PC.

Ivan6953 asserts that they had previously used the same PSU/cable configuration to power their RTX 4090 Founders Edition without any issues. It is important to note that Nvidia’s RTX 5090 has a significantly higher maximum power draw compared to Nvidia’s RTX 5090 (575W versus 450W). This elevated power draw is likely the factor that caused the melting of this GPU’s power connector under load.

Nvidia suggests that users of the RTX 50 series GPU employ the 12V-2×6 power adapters included by Nvidia or the 12V-2×6/12VHPWR cables that come with their power supply. This may create challenges for Ican6953 in attempting to file a warranty claim.

RTX 5090 FE molten socket: Close-up of a melted graphics card power connector. Damage appears to be from overheating.

As it stands, the exact cause of the melting connector on this RTX 5090 remains uncertain. The GPU's owner has indicated plans to submit warranty claims to both ASUS and Nvidia. However, they are skeptical about the likelihood of their warranty being honored due to the use of a 3rd party PSU cable. Nonetheless, we hope this user will receive a graphics card replacement and that their concerns will be addressed.

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