A shocking report has just been released, revealing a potential hazard associated with the 12V-2x6 power cable on the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. According to test results, this cable can reach temperatures above 150°C under high loads, sparking concerns about the device’s safety and durability.
In a test conducted by tech expert Andreas Schilling, the Inno3D iChill Frostbite version of the RTX 5090—equipped with a liquid cooling system—was put to use. However, despite the GPU being effectively cooled, the 12V-2x6 power cable still showed alarming temperature spikes.
Specifically, when the RTX 5090 operated at 600W power consumption, the 16-pin power connector and cable reached temperatures exceeding 150°C near the power supply unit. This extreme heat level poses a serious risk, potentially leading to melting and even fire hazards if not properly managed.
While doing some thermal imaging of a graphics card and reviewing the images, I noticed, that the camera picked up a hotspot at the PSU. The 12V-2x6 cable was cooking at 150+ degrees. This is no joke and will forever remain a weak point of this generation(s). pic.twitter.com/qTMfgTwUr0
— Andreas Schilling (@aschilling) March 7, 2025
The Hardware Luxx editor expressed frustration regarding Nvidia's choice of graphics card power connectors. "The 12V-2x6 cable was cooking at 150+ degrees," he observed, backed up by the thermography. "This is no joke and will forever remain a weak point of this generation(s)."
The excessive heating issue of the 12V-2x6 power cable on the RTX 5090 highlights a critical design flaw. Despite the implementation of the latest ATX 3.1 and PCI-E 5.1 standards, the improvements appear insufficient to fully address the overheating problem.
This is particularly concerning since the RTX 5090 is one of the most powerful graphics cards on the market, with high power consumption. Users must exercise extreme caution when using this card and ensure that their cooling systems are functioning effectively.
As always, if you’re aiming to improve your next gaming experience, be sure to explore our comparison tool for the best offers on the GeForce RTX 4080 GPU today.
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