I thought the 16-pin connector (12VHPWR) meltdown fiasco was all over, but a few months after the first one happened, another user report came out. Unfortunately, the GeForce RTX 4090 (one of the best graphics cards we’ve tested) just can’t break. In the last few days, at least three new victims have come forward with details of their (literal) meltdowns on Reddit.
one Rediter We detailed how the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card’s 16-pin power adapter melted after about 6-7 months of use. They assured readers of his Reddit thread that they had connected the cables correctly, wiggled them to see if they would come off, and made sure there were no gaps. They used his GeForce RTX 4090 less for gaming and instead for training, with graphics cards typically drawing around 350W-500W. Surprisingly, Redditor’s other Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC has had no issues. However, I pointed out that they use the “Moody” adapter. I’m assuming you’re referring to an aftermarket adapter from Cablemod or MODDIY.
meanwhile another Rediter They had similar experiences. While replacing the case, he found the included Nvidia 16-pin power adapter melted. Unfortunately, the graphics card’s 16-pin power connector also showed signs of damage.
of third case It’s pretty special. We’ve mostly seen users report that either the 16-pin power adapter or the 16-pin power connector melted, and sometimes both. However, a third victim shared a photo showing signs of a meltdown on her 8-pin power connector of a Corsair SF750 80 Plus Platinum SFX power supply. The GeForce RTX 4090 minimum recommended power supply capacity is 850W. Nonetheless, the Redditor ran a modest setup with his Ryzen 5 7600, 65W chip and GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition. He was reportedly capped at 70% of the power limit (315W). They have had this system in place since his December 2022, which roughly coincides with the same outage period as his other Redditors.
of final recommendation An Nvidia article posted in November 2022 assured consumers that Nvidia was investigating user reports. At the time, the chipmaker had detected about 50 cases worldwide. However, given that Nvidia has probably sold tens of thousands of his GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards, this is a small sample size.
Nvidia hasn’t provided any updates recently, so it’s unclear if the company is still investigating the issue. The preliminary ruling was that the connector wasn’t fully seated in the graphics card’s connector, and Nvidia argued that the problem was caused by user error. It’s not impossible because of the 12VHPWR connector. teeth It’s a small connector, so accidents can happen. However, some victims claim to be seasoned builders with a long track record of successfully plugging in power connectors. Additionally, given the attention this issue has received, the GeForce RTX 4090 owner is probably double or even triple checking his 12VHPWR power connections.
Nvidia is reportedly researching other ways to ensure the connector is properly seated before powering up the graphics card. However, it’s unclear if Nvidia has made progress on resolving the issue or if it’s still under investigation.
