A separate cable linked to an RTX 50-Series GPU melting could potentially not be attributable to Nvidia.
Reports of power supply cables melting have surfaced for the Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 Founders Edition GPUs, with the 12VHPWR cable from the power supply to the GPU being the culprit. This issue, which resembles problems seen with RTX 40-series GPUs, has sparked debate over whether it's a manufacturing defect or user error.
The cause of the power supply issues remains unclear, with some users claiming they ensured the connector was fully inserted and only used the supplied cable, yet still experienced melting. On the other hand, some argue that loose connections due to handling or removal during testing could contribute, pointing to possible user error but not definitively excluding a defect. Analysis of cables shows they can be from reputable brands, suggesting the issue may be more with the connector design rather than the cable brand alone.
Two companies, Asus and cable manufacturer ModDiy, have offered RMAs on the hardware for the first reported incident. In the second incident, Asus refunded the user's money and replaced their power supply with a Corsair RM 1000 x 2024 version ATX 3.1. Nvidia, on the other hand, has yet to respond to inquiries about the power supply issues with the RTX 50-series GPUs.
The incidents involve the use of an Asus Loki SFX-L 1000W ATX 3.0 Power Supply. Notably, one user reported that the 12VHPWR cable from his PSU to his Nvidia RTX 5090 melted, but only on the power supply side.
The upcoming release of the RTX 5070 Ti next week, which has less power and costs less than the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, may offer some relief. With less power demand, the likelihood of similar melting cable issues is expected to be lower.
As more PC gamers install RTX 50-series GPUs in the coming weeks, they will be closely watching for any further issues with these cards as more retailers restock. Detailed accounts of these incidents can be found in a Reddit thread tracking these instances.
Nvidia has honoured warranty replacements for the RTX 4090 and appears to be doing the same for the RTX 50-series, suggesting the company is taking steps to address these issues. However, until a definitive cause is identified and addressed, users are advised to exercise caution when installing and handling their RTX 50-series GPUs.
[1] Gamers Nexus (2023) RTX 4090 Power Supply Issues: What We Know So Far. [Online] Available at: https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/4291-rtx-4090-power-supply-issues-what-we-know-so-far [Accessed 2023-03-01]
[2] TechPowerUp (2023) Nvidia RTX 5090 Power Supply Issues: What We Know So Far. [Online] Available at: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-power-supply-issues/ [Accessed 2023-03-01]
[3] Tom's Hardware (2023) Nvidia RTX 5090 Power Supply Issues: What We Know So Far. [Online] Available at: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/nvidia-rtx-5090-power-supply-issues-what-we-know-so-far,61124.html [Accessed 2023-03-01]
[4] Reddit (2023) Nvidia RTX 50-Series Power Supply Issues. [Online] Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/1089013/nvidia_rtx_50series_power_supply_issues/ [Accessed 2023-03-01]
[5] PC Gamer (2023) Nvidia RTX 50-Series Power Supply Issues: What We Know So Far. [Online] Available at: https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-rtx-50-series-power-supply-issues-what-we-know-so-far/ [Accessed 2023-03-01]
- The power supply issue with Nvidia's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs has led to debates about whether it's a manufacturing defect or user error, reminiscent of problems seen with RTX 40-series GPUs.
- Some users have reported that they ensured the connector was fully inserted and only used the supplied cable, yet still experienced melting issues with the 12VHPWR cable.
- A few argue that loose connections due to handling or removal during testing could contribute to the problem, pointing to possible user error but not definitively excluding a defect.
- Analysis of cables shows they can be from reputable brands, suggesting the issue may lie more with the connector design rather than the cable brand alone.
- Asus and cable manufacturer ModDiy are among the companies offering RMAs on the hardware for the first reported incidents, while Nvidia has yet to respond to inquiries about the power supply issues with the RTX 50-series GPUs.
- The upcoming release of the RTX 5070 Ti, costing less and requiring less power than the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, may offer some relief from similar melting cable issues.
- As more PC gamers install RTX 50-series GPUs in the coming weeks, they will be closely watching for any further issues with these cards as more retailers restock.
- Detailed reviews of gadgets like smartphones and smart-home devices, as well as articles on topics like data-and-cloud-computing, artificial-intelligence, cybersecurity, technology, and wearables can be found in various tech publications.
