A Redditor found a gaping hole in his RTX 5090's 16-pin power connector after playing Crypt of the NecroDancer on ultra settings - a game that any modern GPU should barely feel, as it only requires 512MB of VRAM.
The incident, shared on Reddit, shows the connector's top row of ports fused together by melted plastic, even though the game wouldn't have been able to, or shouldn't be able to, even come close to maxing out the RTX 5090's 600W power ceiling. This means the card, which the Redditor says in the description was a PNY card, experienced this melting without maxing out its power draw.
The user, u/UnpluggedUnfettered, noted a burning smell mid-session and later discovered the damage. The GPU in question was from PNY, though similar issues have been reported across all RTX 5090 brands and are uncomfortably common.
The 16-pin 12VHPWR connector is notorious for its fragility, with poor mating or loose connections often leading to overheating. In this case, and given the information provided by the Redditor, the card didn't even need to be at 100% usage to fail.
"PNY were jackoffs; basically "lol, immediatley no. Cords aren't ours, and so you broke it" . . . which makes sense because of how, historically, no one has ever used anything other than the exact cables that come with their GPU.
DigitalStorm, to their credit has had constant contact, constant support, and offered to facilitate everything with PNY. By this point, though, I've already found a local team I trust to make the repair for ~$180.
At this point, it's just that, even with DS's partnering, I'll be damned if I'm mailing a mid-4-digit piece of equipment towards a company that immediately told me to fuck myself when I asked for help with the thing that a product is famous for doing.
Goddamned I miss EVGA.
Anyway, I don't blame DigitalStorm. I doubt I'll ever buy another prebuilt (I only bought this because sourcing a 5090 in my spare time was not working), but if that ever changed I'd probably give them a second go.
Now to wait for the repair shop who, if my luck continues holding, will soon tell me that I'm fucked anyway and to pick up a less expensive hobby," wrote UnpluggedUnfettered
Frequently Asked Questions
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What power monitoring hardware are RTX 5090 owners using to catch connector problems early?
Does this melting issue happen on PNY RTX 5090 cards more often than on other brands?
What signs besides a burning smell can indicate a 16-pin connector is overheating on an RTX 5090?
Can a loose or poorly seated 12VHPWR cable cause connector damage even when the GPU is not under heavy load?
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As worries mount over connector longevity, and not to mention the fire risk, many owners of cards susceptible to melting are looking toward solutions such as power monitoring hardware.
