An RTX 5090 owner has gone to great lengths to prevent any potential melting issues on their RTX 5090 graphics card by modifying the card with a daughterboard that puts the load of the 16-pin connector onto two additional 8-pin connectors on the board. Redditor DallasGrave published their mod on the PCMR subreddit, noting that temperatures on the wires of the 16-pin connector had improved significantly thanks to the mod and never broke 40C.
The mod consists of a single daughterboard with two 8-pin PCIe connectors attached to the backplate of the RTX 5090. To get these connectors to power the card, the bottom contacts of the 12V-2x6 connector are soldered to a pickup PCB that transfers power to the daughterboard. With this design, the power of the 16-pin connector is spread between itself and the two 8-pin PCIe connectors, essentially giving the card two extra 8-pin connectors to spread the load. The modder noted that with this setup, the power draw across all the wires and conductors was only around three amps, and at 550W full load for 48 hours, the wires never crossed the 40C mark.
This is a massive improvement compared to the operating temperature of some RTX 5090 graphics cards that have had their connectors melted. One of the worst cases involved Hardware Unboxed's ROG RTX 5090 Astral that melted, where the connector on their card reached a blisteringly hot 175C. The 8-pin mod is so good in the thermal department that it also operates below the operating temperature of normal 12V2x6 power connectors. The average operating temperature of the 12V-2x6 power connector is usually above the 40C range, with the connector's advertised temperature limit being 105C.
- Read more: Modders swap RTX 5090's 16-pin connector for 8-pins and run it at 900W without melting
- Read more: Club386 is the latest victim of melted 12V-2x6 cable connectors, RTX 5090 and PSU both damaged
- Read more: Enthusiast attempts to install second 12V-2x6 connector on RTX 5090, is rewarded with a hole punched through the PCB
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What PSU cabling is needed to safely power the RTX 5090 mod’s two added 8-pin PCIe connectors?
Could splitting power across two extra 8-pin connectors affect RTX 5090 performance or power delivery?
What electrical or warranty risks come with soldering a pickup PCB to an RTX 5090’s 12V-2x6 contacts?
What other safeguards have been explored to reduce RTX 5090 12V-2x6 connector damage?
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There have been many failed attempts to make safety guards for the 12VHPWR/12V-2x6 connector standard, so only time will tell if this mod will actually work. That said, this mod significantly improves operating temperatures, which is a leading cause of connector damage.
