Nvidia under fire: $2000 RTX 5090 users complain of burning power cables yet again

With the RTX 40-series GPUs, NVIDIA had introduced the 12VHPWR power connector, but after the melting issues surfaced, PCI-SIG, the standards organisation that developed the 12VHPWR unveiled a new connector that improved the reliability of these cables. However, after an investigation, NVIDIA said the problem surfaced because users did not insert the connectors into the stock on the GPU or bent it in a way that put stress on the cable itself.

Here’s an image showing the RTX 5090 with a burnt power connector. (Image Source: ivan6953/Reddit)

But now, a Reddit user who upgraded from the RTX 4090 to RTX 5090 said that they noticed a “burning smell playing Battlefield 5.” The user shared an image which shows burnt plastic on both the PSU and GPU end of the connector.

A YouTuber who goes by the name Toro Tocho also seems to have experienced the same problem with the RTX 5090 Founders Edition. While NVIDIA might once again attribute the issue to an improperly or loosely seated power connector or dismiss it as a one-off instance, it is interesting to note that these were third-party cables and not the first-party 8-pin adaptor NVIDIA bundles in with the new GPUs.

At the time of writing, it is still too early to say if the problem surfaced because of the third-party power connectors or if the new card has some problem, so we will have to wait and see to know the root cause of the issue.