According to the NorthridgeFix repair service, RTX 4090 users are still reporting melted connectors.

On April 12, NorthridgeFix released a video raising questions about the reliability of the RTX 4090 power connector. That is, the story about the melting and burning of the new powerful RTX 4090 connectors is still a problem even a year after the card’s release.

Eventually, NVIDIA updated the connector to the newer 12V-2×6 standard, and partners suggested paying attention to high-quality cable bending to reduce the load on the connector. The new 12V-2×6 connectors have shorter information pins, so that the GPU receives additional power only when the power cable is fully inserted.

However, the repair shop continues to receive damaged GPUs with melted connectors. Workers did not count how many cases are based on the newer (12V-2×6) or older (12VHPWR) standard, only note that they replace up to 200 connectors in just one month.

For now, we recommend using the official NVIDIA power adapters or the native cables provided by the power supply manufacturers. Any adapters made by different companies pose a certain risk of overheating and melting, especially if the connector is inserted with a stretch. Users, especially owners of RTX 4090, as some models can reach 600W when overclocked, should periodically pay attention to the power connector on their GPUs.

The following NorthridgeFix video demonstrates the process of replacing the connector and hopes that NVIDIA will focus on this issue when designing the next generation of GeForce graphics cards. So far, neither AMD nor Intel has shown any interest in adopting the standards or 12V-2×6 for their next-generation gaming GPUs.