The RTX 5090's power delivery problems have resurfaced with another reported case of a melted 16-pin connector, highlighting ongoing safety concerns with Nvidia's flagship graphics card. This latest incident adds to a growing list of similar failures that have plagued the RTX 50 series since its launch.
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| A close-up of an RTX graphics card, highlighting the power connectors that have faced safety concerns due to thermal issues |
Latest Incident Details
A Reddit user reported severe damage to their MSI Gaming Trio RTX 5090's power cable after approximately two months of use. The system was powered by a Corsair HX1500i power supply, which meets ATX 3.1 compliance standards. The user employed MSI's yellow-tipped 4x8-pin to 16-pin adapter rather than a native 16-pin cable, similar to previous reported cases.
The damage was extensive, with the yellow-tipped connector becoming heavily charred and an entire row of 12V terminals showing visible burn marks. The yellow tip, ironically designed to help users ensure proper cable seating by remaining visible until fully inserted, bore the brunt of the thermal damage. Fortunately, the GPU-side connector remained intact, and the graphics card continued functioning with a replacement cable.
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| A close-up view of the damaged power supply cable connector from an MSI RTX 5090, illustrating the thermal damage reported by users |
Root Cause Analysis
The persistent connector failures stem from fundamental changes Nvidia made to the electrical design of RTX 40 and 50 series graphics cards compared to their predecessors. Previous RTX 30 series high-end models incorporated three shunt resistors that allowed the GPU to monitor the six 12V pins as separate inputs, enabling load balancing and automatic shutdown if connection issues were detected.
Nvidia eliminated this safety feature in newer designs, consolidating power from all six pins into a single source. This architectural change prevents the GPU from detecting partial disconnections or poor connections, removing its ability to redistribute power or shut down protectively. In worst-case scenarios, a single pin rated for only 9.5A maximum current could be forced to handle up to 41.6A (approximately 500W), creating dangerous thermal conditions.
Industry Response and Solutions
While hardware manufacturers have yet to issue official statements regarding these recurring failures, some companies have developed alternative approaches. ASUS has implemented per-pin current measurement capabilities in their Astral family of graphics cards, providing better monitoring and protection.
The DIY community has also responded with custom solutions, including connectors equipped with built-in alarms and fuses to prevent catastrophic failures. These modifications highlight the technical community's concerns about the current power delivery implementation and their efforts to address safety gaps.
Implications for Users
These incidents underscore the importance of proper cable installation and the limitations of current RTX 50 series power management systems. Users should ensure complete connector seating and consider cards with enhanced monitoring capabilities when available. The recurring nature of these failures suggests that power connector issues may continue to affect RTX 5090 users until design improvements are implemented.