NVIDIA's RTX 5090 graphics card is facing a significant reliability issue that could damage both the GPU and connected power supplies. The problem stems from the new 12V-2×6 power connector, which has shown signs of overheating under load. This matters to PC builders because the current cabling standard may not safely handle peak power demands for high-end cards.
Thermal testing reveals uneven power distribution causing cable melting on high-end GPUs
The hardware failure centers on the 12V-2×6 power interface used by NVIDIA's latest flagship GPU. Thermal camera testing captured one wire in the connector reaching 150°C while other pins carried minimal load. This uneven power distribution suggests a design flaw in how the cable manages current across its contacts.
Club386 reported that their RTX 5090 and a be quiet! Dark Power 13 power supply unit were both damaged by melted connectors. The incident highlights the risks of using standard cables with next-generation graphics cards that draw significant power from a single connector point. Multiple attempted fixes have also failed to resolve the underlying thermal stress.
Various manufacturers tried different approaches to mitigate the overheating, but none proved fully effective. MSI and GIGABYTE released modified cables, while Thermal Grizzly and Cybenetics tested alternative solutions. Even ASUS ROG Equalizer cables, which use a per-wire load balancing design, reportedly melted during testing. The issue also extends to non-flagship cards like the RTX 5080 and AMD's RX 9070 XT.
Club386 is calling for the retirement of the current connector standard entirely. This recommendation follows repeated failures across different cable designs and hardware configurations. Buyers relying on high-end GPUs should verify their power supply cabling before upgrading to avoid potential damage.
Source: TweakTown
