RTX 5090 cable melting claim debunked — Investigation points at prior RTX 4090 FE cabling usage

600W melted connector
(Image credit: PCM)

Tech publication outlet PCM from Hong Kong recently reported an incident while testing the RTX 5090D and RTX 5080 (via UNIKO's Hardware), sharing some all-too-familiar images. Two of the publication's 16-pin cables melted and their 1,200W PSU outright failed. While this news could lead to a new generation power connector scare, closer investigation reveals that an RTX 4090 FE was in fact the real culprit with visible burn marks evident ahead of the Blackwell testing. The damage wasn't initially obvious and further instability prompted the reviewer to check the GPU power cable, only to find that both ends had melted.

From our understanding of the source's machine translation, the reviewer likely tested the RTX 4090 FE beforehand. Nvidia silently revised the power connector on the 4090 FE to the updated 12V-2x6 standard after a few months. It is possible that their sample still used the fault-prone 12VHPWR connector. After testing both RTX 50 GPUs under full load, the reviewer noticed signs of instability, which led them to suspect the SSD had failed. Upon inspecting the 16-pin GPU power cable, they found clear signs of melting.

This led to the initial inference that Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs could still be vulnerable to power cabling meltdowns. Further examination revealed clear burn marks on the RTX 4090 FE, while the 50-series GPUs' connectors showed no signs of damage. This suggests that the RTX 4090 FE almost certainly caused the cable to melt. Breathe easy; this was just a false alarm. A translation of the story is available if you expand the tweet below.

The elevated power limits on Blackwell GPUs did raise concerns, considering the melted power connector pandemic that plagued Ada Lovelace. However, Nvidia reassured customers that RTX 50 series power connectors were unlikely to melt. While the answer is a bit more complicated than a clear yes or no, AIBs are taking extra precautions, nonetheless. Zotac's new safety light feature prevents GPU power-on until the cable is seated correctly. MSI's new 16-pin cables feature an easily visible yellow indicator to help determine whether they are properly connected or not. In fact, the 16-pin connector on a handful of custom RTX 50 models is safeguarded by thermal pads, where the excess heat is dissipated through the metal backplate.

There have been reports by a few reviewers that suggest Nvidia's multi-PCB design for its Founders Edition cards is causing instability in PCIe 5.0 mode. We likely won't know the complete story until a proper investigation ensues; further exacerbated by the ongoing shortages which limit our ability to corroborate this issue with other users.

Hassam Nasir
Contributing Writer

Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

  • TheyStoppedit
    Its only been 3 days. Most people's 5090s havent even arrived yet. Give it a week or 2, month at most. The 5090 power draw is 125W higher than the 4090 that melted. It won't be long until articles and threads on different forums start surfacing about melted 5090's.
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    There no way this connector will melt... they will evaporate.
    Reply
  • ezst036
    The real problem is this:

    It is believable.
    Reply
  • RoLleRKoaSTeR
    Now, 5090 video cards are bricking - PCIe, Driver, or Firmware is causing this?
    Reply
  • Giroro
    Maybe the melting was caused by a lower power card that uses essentially the same connector, or maybe it was the higher power card plugged into the same cable.
    I don't think there will ever be a large enough sample size of gamers with RTX 5090s to know for sure. To me, pointing the blame at the lower power card just makes the new one look even worse by comparison.
    Reply
  • YSCCC
    Tbf there isn’t remotely enough cards out in the wild and time for it to be really tested, most are in the scalper’s backyard and not plugged in. Let the wealthy beta tester get the fun first
    Reply
  • das_stig
    RoLleRKoaSTeR said:
    Now, 5090 video cards are bricking - PCIe, Driver, or Firmware is causing this?
    Who did the software QA, Microsoft ?
    Reply
  • KyaraM
    Amazing that people here STILL don't get how the issue even came to pass...
    Reply
  • Fox Tread33
    February 4, 2025 - What I find REALLY annoying is what I would call the "International Chicken Little" effect. A post, "report", or "news article" from some obscure source. Sends hundreds of thousand.. if not more... people into an uproar. It's like people are just waiting for an excuse to get upset or worry about something. I guess we can thank "unsocial media" for that. I think that it is time for people to calm down, and for real experts in various important industries to be given time to research what is true and what isn't. Fortunately in Tech we have honest brokers like Gamers' Nexus, JayZ, and Paul's Hardware to name a few. To do through, knowledgeable, and honest investigations. Personally, I really found it extremely unsettling when the whole burning power cable issue became such a big deal. I still have concerns about upgrading to a new GPU when the time comes. I have to wonder if my 1600 Watt PSU will be compatible with the new power cords etc. Stay well all.
    Reply
  • YSCCC
    Fox Tread33 said:
    February 4, 2025 - What I find REALLY annoying is what I would call the "International Chicken Little" effect. A post, "report", or "news article" from some obscure source. Sends hundreds of thousand.. if not more... people into an uproar. It's like people are just waiting for an excuse to get upset or worry about something. I guess we can thank "unsocial media" for that. I think that it is time for people to calm down, and for real experts in various important industries to be given time to research what is true and what isn't. Fortunately in Tech we have honest brokers like Gamers' Nexus, JayZ, and Paul's Hardware to name a few. To do through, knowledgeable, and honest investigations. Personally, I really found it extremely unsettling when the whole burning power cable issue became such a big deal. I still have concerns about upgrading to a new GPU when the time comes. I have to wonder if my 1600 Watt PSU will be compatible with the new power cords etc. Stay well all.
    Well I believe it have a lot to do with the crazy price tag and the fact that for such luxury product, when that happens they just go “nah it’s your own problem bro, no warranty cover”. When ppl paying a hefty premium and get treated by not accordingly
    Reply