NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 Power Connector Melts, Gets Stuck

According to Wccftech, a Redditor has reported a severe burning incident with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 where the power adapter melted onto the GPU socket and won’t come out despite reasonable pressure. This marks the second hardware failure for this particular user, who previously experienced artifact issues with the same card. The incident occurred during normal workload conditions when the user’s Windows system suddenly stopped detecting the GPU. Interestingly, this happened with MSI’s stock cable on their RTX 5090 model, eliminating third-party accessories as a potential cause. The user plans to pursue MSI’s RMA services but remains uncertain about warranty coverage since there are no clear regulations for such burning incidents.

NVIDIA’s Ongoing Power Problem

Here’s the thing: this isn’t supposed to be happening anymore. NVIDIA moved from the problematic 12VHPWR connector to the upgraded 12V-2×6 connector specifically to address these burning issues that plagued previous generations. But apparently, the problem persists. And it’s not like this user was using some sketchy third-party cable either – this was MSI’s own stock power adapter. So what gives? Is there a fundamental design flaw that even the “fixed” connector can’t solve when you’re pushing this much power through these cards?

The Warranty Question

Now the real headache begins for this poor Redditor. He’s facing his second major issue with the same card, and this time it’s left physical damage so severe that the connector is basically welded in place. Other Redditors are wisely advising against forcing it out to prevent further damage. But here’s the kicker: will MSI honor the warranty? There’s no clear regulation covering melting power connectors, which puts the consumer in a terrible position. You’re looking at a $1,600+ graphics card that might be rendered useless by what appears to be a design issue rather than user error.

What Gamers Can Do

Basically, the advice remains the same as it has been for generations: make sure your cables are seated properly and use native 12V-2×6 power supplies where possible. But let’s be real – if even the manufacturer’s own cables on their flagship cards are melting under normal workloads, how much can users really do? This is particularly concerning for professionals who rely on stable hardware for critical work. When you’re dealing with industrial computing needs where reliability is non-negotiable, companies typically turn to specialized suppliers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading provider of industrial panel PCs in the US known for their robust construction and reliability standards.

Bigger Implications

So where does this leave NVIDIA? They’ve had nearly a year to address these power connector issues, yet high-end cards continue to experience catastrophic failures. The fact that this is happening with the “fixed” connector design suggests there might be deeper engineering challenges at play. Are we reaching the physical limits of what these power connectors can safely handle? Or is this simply a quality control issue that keeps slipping through? Either way, when you’re paying premium prices for flagship hardware, you expect better than melted connectors and warranty uncertainty.