Another RTX 5090 power connector melted, and even ASRock TempGuard failed to save this one

The infamous RTX 5090 power connectors just keep melting, and even a dedicated safety feature couldn't stop this latest one. VideoCardz reports that a user who goes by the name of Riptide just had their PSU native power connectors melted, while being plugged into an RTX 5090 with the TempGuard cable.

Apparently, the user also had their ASRock PG1000-PSF power supply keep running after its native 12V-2x6 connector started melting, despite the PSU's TempGuard cable being installed specifically to catch this kind of failure. The setup paired an MSI GeForce RTX 5090 GAMING TRIO OC with ASRock's TempGuard cable, a product built to monitor connector temperature and shut the PSU down before things get bad.

6

That's exactly what didn't happen in this case. The protection never triggered, and the user only noticed the burned connector after the fact. Making things worse, this was reportedly the same user's second RTX 5090 connector failure, with the first involving a Founders Edition card and a Corsair SF1000 PSU. That's some serious bad luck.

6

6

This connector's reputation precedes it at this point. We first flagged the RTX 5090 hitting over 150°C at the connector shortly after launch, and the failures haven't slowed down since. We've covered a Founders Edition melting with a third-party cable, the issue spreading to the RTX 5080, and even a properly seated cable taking out both a 5090 and a PSU at Club386 despite no user error involved.

6

Der8auer's thermal imaging work has previously shown a single pin on this connector absorbing far more current than the others, which is the root cause behind most of these stories. Many fail-safe solutions have been developed by various companies, but none have actually successfully managed to curtail the issue.

The part that stings here is that TempGuard exists for exactly this scenario. ASRock built it as a two-pin thermal sensor at the GPU end of the cable, designed to cut power before temperatures reach a dangerous point, and it's actually worked before in earlier reported cases. It joins a small pile of aftermarket fixes, including Thermal Grizzly's WireView Pro 2 and MSI's GPU Safeguard PSUs, all trying to patch around a connector design that keeps failing on its own. Even ASUS's $50 ROG Equalizer cable, built specifically to fix the current imbalance, has reportedly melted too.

6

Frequently Asked Questions

TweakBot answers common questions about this news using TweakTown's own coverage from this page and related content from our archive. Tap a question to reveal the answer, or type your own below.

Question #1

How can I tell if my RTX 5090's 12V-2x6 connector is starting to overheat before visible melting occurs?

Look for rising temperatures at the connector and uneven heating concentrated on a single pin, which thermal imaging previously showed as the root cause of these failures. Use a thermal sensor or TempGuard-style cable at the GPU end to detect and shut down before melting, but note the article reports TempGuard can fail to trigger in some cases, so thermal imaging or temperature monitoring is the most reliable early indicator.

Answered

Question #2

Do any of the aftermarket protection solutions (TempGuard, Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro II, MSI GPU Safeguard, ASUS ROG Equalizer) have documented failure modes or limitations in TweakTown's coverage?

Yes. TweakTown reports ASRock TempGuard failed to shut down the PSU in this incident, and it also notes ASUS ROG Equalizer cables have reportedly melted, while overall the site says none of the aftermarket fixes have successfully curbed the recurring connector failures. Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro II and MSI GPU Safeguard are mentioned as attempted fixes but are not documented as having prevented all failures in TweakTown’s coverage.

Answered

Question #3

Are there documented cases in TweakTown of a melted 12V-2x6 connector causing permanent damage to GPUs or PSUs, and what repairs/replacements were reported?

Yes. TweakTown documents cases where melted 12V-2x6 connectors caused permanent damage to GPUs and PSUs, including a Founders Edition card with a Corsair SF1000 PSU and a Club386 report where both an RTX 5090 and the PSU were damaged. The article does not provide specific repair or replacement details for those failures.

Answered

Question #4

Have teardown or thermal-imaging analyses (e.g., Der8auer) in TweakTown explained exactly which pin configurations or current imbalances lead to the hotspots on the 12V-2x6 connector?

Click to reveal answer

Have a question not listed here? Ask below and TweakBot will answer it.

Your questionAsk

Answering your question×

TweakBot is analyzing your question…

Could not get an answer

TweakBot is generating an answer

Read More

Was TweakBot helpful?Thanks for the feedback!

At some point, it's fair to ask whether any of these band-aids can actually fix a connector that keeps finding new ways to fail, sensors and load balancing included. NVIDIA may just need to walk away from this design for the next generation instead of asking the rest of the industry to keep engineering around it.