The RTX 5090's infamous 12V-2x6 power connector has struck again - this time on Hardware Unboxed's test bench, where a cable hit a scorching 175°C under load.
The incident involved an ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 paired with a Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 PSU. Host Steve discovered the problem after touching the cable and feeling a burn, which thermal imaging later confirmed. A Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro revealed an extreme current imbalance: one wire pulling 22A while others carried almost none. The damage was worse at the PSU end, and Steve noticed after using pliers to pull the cable out that the wires that weren't carrying any current were completely melted at the PSU end.
Steve added that the cable was perfectly seated in the power supply beforehand, and that he isn't specifically blaming Be Quiet! or the Dark Power 13 PSU, as there have been numerous reports of melting with a variety of PSU and graphics card combinations. However, the one common denominator is the 12V-2x6 power connector.
Unfortunately, this issue is far from new. Melted connectors have plagued the RTX 50-series since launch in early 2025. Despite undervolting and power limiting, users still report failures, and the issue continues to plague enthusiast PC gamers, which is unfortunate as these are the customers who care enough about the hardware to drop multiple thousands of dollars.
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What did the Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro show about current imbalance on the 12V-2x6 cable?
Was the cable damage worse at the GPU end or the PSU end in this incident?
Are all RTX 5090 and RTX 50-series power connector melts being blamed on the PSU, or is the 12V-2x6 connector itself the common issue?
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Remedies for the issue aren't exactly easy, as some modders have shown that soldering the wires directly to PCBs can bypass the flawed design. However, for the remainder of owners, the problem persists.
