Nvidia’s problem of melting 16-pin GPU power connectors continues. Due to the continuing vacuum of first-party information, we can accept a reasonable theory about the melted power connector issue on Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards. Corsair’s respected PSU expert, Johnny Gleshared his views and theories on connector gates.
The plausible explanation of the PSU expert is also very simple. He concludes that the GPU installer didn’t fully insert the connector. Problematic installations leave a gap between the insert and the socket. We discussed this as a possibility a few weeks ago, but he’s just one of several.
With coverage of connector gate theory from input from Igor’s Lab, Gamers Nexus, and CableMod, Hardware Luxxe, and Tom’s Hardware using their own GPU editor, it’s difficult to reach firm conclusions. Let’s take a closer look at JonnyGuru’s methods and theory.
JonnyGuru hooked up his Corsair HX1500i with three PCIe cables and connected it to an Nvidia adapter. He also added a thermistor to his monitoring setup and used cable ties to force the cable to bend. JonnyGuru, like others before him, decided to try to do questionable damage to the integrity of the connectors, especially the soldered joints. However, all this did not help, and the connector temperature under sustained high load he never exceeded 53°C (degrees Celsius).
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Above: Gallery showing good and bad connections
After a slightly fruitless test session, JonnyGuru turned his attention to more, pondering online photos of setups with melted cables and other setups without issues. This has led PSU experts to the following conclusions: This theory is supported by many connector mating images where the connector is not fully inserted. Additionally, he reasoned, the 16-pin connector was “very hard to fully insert.” This is consistent with our own experience. For emphasis, we have left the caps-lock in both previous quotes.
Nvidia and AIB remain surprisingly quiet, so if any PC DIY enthusiast or enthusiast is looking for advice, JonnyGuru suggests applying a small amount of Amazon’s dielectric grease to the power connector. This $4 investment is definitely worth the $1,500 GPU fitted, say Corsair PSU experts.
Additionally, users with faulty 16-pin connectors are less likely to publicly declare, “Yes, I just checked and the adapter wasn’t fully inserted. This is my own fault.” in danger. However, to date, it’s unclear exactly what caused the failure, including a failure to connect directly to the PSU’s 16-pin connector.
Nvidia stays quiet
It’s been over two weeks since the melting issue with the first 16-pin 12VHPWR adapter raised its smoldering head. Various third parties and tech experts put forward reasonable theories about the underlying problem, but Nvidia and its partners have apparently remained silent.
The last we heard was that Team Green was still carefully examining the melted samples in the lab. We expect Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 4080 and future RTX 4070 Ti to continue to use 16-pin adapters, so it’s great to have official news on these issues from Nvidia and its board partners. will always share the information provided.
