Ah shit, right here we go once more. Two homeowners of Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 Founders Version GPUs have reported melted energy connectors and harm to their PSUs. The pictures look equivalent to stories of RTX 4090 power cables burning or melting from two years in the past. Nvidia blamed the problem on folks not correctly plugging the 12VHPWR energy connection in absolutely and the PCI requirements physique blamed Nvidia.
A Reddit poster upgraded from an RTX 4090 to an RTX 5090 and observed “a burning scent taking part in Battlefield 5,” earlier than turning off their PC and discovering the harm. The pictures present burnt plastic at each the PSU finish of the facility connector and the half that connects on to the GPU. The cable is one from MODDIY, a preferred producer of customized cables, and the poster claims it was “securely mounted and clicked on each side (GPU and PSU).”
Whereas it’s tempting responsible the MODDIY cable, Spanish YouTuber Toro Tocho has skilled the identical burnt cable (each on the GPU and PSU ends) with an RTX 5090 Founders Version whereas utilizing a cable equipped by PSU producer FSP. Plastic has additionally melted into the PCIe 5.0 energy connector on the facility provide.
Nvidia initially launched the 12VHPWR energy connector on its RTX 40-series GPUs, and energy provides additionally debuted to assist the brand new normal. The RTX 4090 Founders Version was ready to attract 450 watts over the 12VHPWR connector, whereas the brand new RTX 5090 attracts as much as 575 watts over a cable that’s rated as much as 600 watts. After early points with RTX 4090 connectors melting, PCI-SIG, the requirements group liable for the 12VHPWR connector, has now up to date it to a brand new 12V-2×6 connector on the GPU aspect and in some circumstances the PSU aspect, too.
The 12V-2×6 connector has shorter sensing pins and longer conductor terminals, to enhance reliability. “This may not sound like an enormous distinction, however it issues in guaranteeing that the facility cable has been correctly related to no matter gadget goes to be pulling energy out of your system’s energy provide,” explains Corsair.
Nvidia makes use of the 12V-2×6 connector on its RTX 50-series GPUs, however you’ll be able to nonetheless use current 12VHPWR cables. “To be clear, this isn’t a brand new cable, it’s an up to date change to the pins within the socket, which is known as 12V-2×6,” says Corsair. PSU producers like Corsair and MSI have adopted coloured pins on their 12VHPWR cables in order that if you happen to can nonetheless see the yellow or gray pins it means the connector isn’t seated correctly.
Whereas Intel and AMD are each members of the PCI-SIG group that helped develop the 12VHPWR energy connector, solely Nvidia has adopted the usual to this point. Even AMD’s upcoming Radeon RX 9070-series are utilizing current 8-pin PCIe connections as an alternative. AMD even prompt the 12VHPWR connector was a fireplace hazard in late 2022, when the corporate’s gaming advertising and marketing director Sasa Marinkovic tweeted “Keep secure this vacation season” alongside an image of 8-pin connectors.
12VHPWR has been branded a “dumpster fire,” because of design oversights that make it comparatively straightforward for finish customers to not correctly join the cable securely. Cablemod was additionally forced to recall its 12VHPWR GPU energy adapters final 12 months after stories of melted adapters.
We’ve reached out to Nvidia to touch upon these newest stories of RTX 5090 energy connector points, however the firm didn’t reply in time for publication.