RTX 5090 Power Cable Melts, Sparking New Concerns

A new incident involving a melted power cable on an Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics card has surfaced, raising concerns about the reliability of high-end GPU power delivery. According to a Reddit user named Roachard, both ends of the 12VHPWR cable melted, damaging the card and the power supply unit (PSU).

Roachard reported that the issue occurred with an MSI RTX 5090 Gaming Trio OC, purchased from Best Buy a month ago for over $3,000. The card was paired with a Corsair SF1000L, an 80 Plus Platinum, ATX 3.0-compliant PSU. The user confirmed that the cable was directly connected to the PSU without any extensions and that no overclocking was applied to the RTX 5090.

"I thought avoiding third-party cables meant there would be no issues, but apparently not," Roachard stated.

The damage included melted connectors on both the GPU and PSU sides, with a noticeable bulge on the PSU connector. This incident echoes a similar case from February involving an RTX 5090 and a third-party cable from Moddiy, which also resulted in damage to both the card and PSU.

These incidents are reminiscent of the widespread issues with the RTX 4090, where improperly inserted 12VHPWR cables led to melting. While the RTX 5090 issues are fewer in number, they raise questions about the 12VHPWR connector's design and its ability to handle the power demands of high-end GPUs.

Earlier this year, an overclocker, Der8auer, replicated similar melting incidents, revealing uneven power distribution across the cable's wires. Some wires carried significantly more current than others, leading to excessive heat and melting. In Der8auer's test, the cable's connectors reached 150°C on the PSU side and nearly 90°C on the GPU side.

The recurrence of these issues has prompted concern among PC enthusiasts. Users are advised to ensure their 12VHPWR cables are fully and securely connected to prevent potential melting.