RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 Melting Connectors Hit More GPUs

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 graphics cards are facing renewed scrutiny after a Chinese repair technician documented multiple GPUs with burned or melted 16-pin power connectors arriving at his workshop within two days.

The technician, known as Brother Zhang, shared the damaged cards in an October 21 video on his YouTube channel. He reported receiving approximately seven or eight affected graphics cards, including several RTX 5090 models and two RTX 4090s.

The cards came from manufacturers including ASUS, MSI, Gainward, and NVIDIA's Founders Edition lineup. Damage ranged from melted connector housings and burned contacts to discoloration around the circuit boards.

One Gainward RTX 5090 had suffered enough heat damage that its power cable became fused to the connector. The owner had to cut the cable before sending the card for repair.

Another RTX 5090 owner reported using a 1,250W Segotep power supply without an adapter. The card reportedly began producing black screens during gaming before the owner noticed a burning smell.

After replacing the damaged connectors, Zhang tested the repaired cards using 3DMark. One RTX 5090 connector reached approximately 82°C, while another cable measured 77°C near the power supply.

Those temperatures alone do not establish why the connectors failed. Zhang identified several possible contributing factors, including cable quality, power supplies, and electrical contact problems.

The cases highlight continuing concerns surrounding high-power 16-pin GPU connections, but failures reported by a single repair workshop cannot establish how widespread the problem is.

Owners should follow their graphics card and power supply manufacturers' connection guidance and stop using affected hardware if they notice burning smells, discoloration, or visible connector damage.