A recent incident involving a burnt 16-pin connector on an RTX 5090 has caught the attention of many due to its thorough documentation. Despite following all the proper procedures, the connector melted while firmly seated in the GPU port.
John Papadopoulos from DSO Gaming detailed how this occurred with his GeForce RTX 5090. Interestingly, even with smoke and a melting connector, the GPU continued to function without crashing. This incident is one of few where the entire process was meticulously recorded, including pre-use photos.
John used the 12Vx2-6 power cable provided with the GPU, ensuring no cable swaps with models like the RTX 4090 or RTX 5080. Despite the connector being fully inserted, smoke appeared after the GPU ran at full capacity for over 20 minutes, although temperatures remained below 78 degrees Celsius.
Some observers noted a perceived ‘gap’ in the connection. However, Papadopoulos insists the connector was as far in as possible, which should have ensured a stable connection. This raises questions about how power is distributed, as it’s likely that only the fully connected pins were transferring power, leading to the overheating.
Adding another twist, after the burning smell appeared, John reseated the GPU without altering the connector. Surprisingly, the GPU functioned without further issues, indicating a design flaw rather than user error.
This incident highlights a significant concern with the connector design, as there’s no mechanism on the GPU to verify a secure connection, potentially leading to similar issues in the future.
