A GPU repair business recently highlighted an alarming trend: they’ve amassed a staggering 200 RTX 4090 connectors that have melted, all within a single month. This issue seems to persist, as the RTX 4090 model continues to experience incidents of connector melting.
Despite being over a year since its release, the RTX 4090’s power connectors are still failing, with incidents of them melting and burning. NVIDIA had updated the card’s connector to the 12V-2×6 configuration, but problems have resurfaced, particularly with CableMod’s new adapters.
CableMod has since discontinued its angled adapter and is issuing refunds to affected customers. The firm was even compensating for the damage caused to GPUs, but as the situation worsened and other partners began to point fingers, continuing to back the product became unsustainable.
NorthridgeFix, a repair service, noted that while CableMod’s adapters met technical specifications, they were based on an inherently flawed design. NVIDIA has addressed this by releasing an updated connector for the RTX 40 series, which includes a 12+4 or 16-pin version known as the 12VHPWR standard. This newer design has shorter sense pins, which ensures the power supply is correctly connected.
However, despite these updates, the repair service is still seeing a significant number of RTX 4090 GPUs with melted connectors. They’ve reported replacing around 200 connectors in just one month, highlighting a persistent problem. The information does not clarify whether the issues are with the new or old versions of the connectors.
For those using NVIDIA graphics cards, especially the powerful RTX 4090 models which can draw up to 600W, sticking to official power adapters or those provided by reputable power supply manufacturers is advised. Third-party adapters might not always align with NVIDIA’s specifications, which could lead to overheating or even melting if they’re not properly connected.
NorthridgeFix, in a demonstration, showed that replacing the power connectors is not quite as straightforward as changing GPUs or memory modules, underlining the severity of the issue. The hope is that NVIDIA will take these concerns into account for future GeForce GPU designs. Meanwhile, neither AMD nor Intel have indicated plans to implement the 12VHPWR or 12V-6X2 power standards in their upcoming gaming GPUs.
Source: NorthridgeFix, EI Chapuzas Informatico