Nvidia RTX 4090 : So Hot they're melting power cables

upnorth

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GPUs have been a hot commodity but this is ridiculous. Nvidia's use of a 600W power socket and cable with its RTX graphics cards may have sounded like a good idea at the time but some users have reported overheating issues.

One unlucky user uploaded photos of an Nv-branded 12VHPWR power cable that had melted where it plugs into their RTX 4090. The cable feeds power from the PC's PSU into the GPU card. "It smelled badly and I saw smoke," the Redditor explained, adding that the power connector appeared to be the issue since the card still worked despite the damage sustained.
The 12VHPWR power connector and cabling used by Nvidia RTX 4090s was revealed earlier this year along with Intel's new ATX power supply specs. Those PSUs were designed to support power-hungry PCIe gen-5 graphic cards that require more power. The 12VHPWR connector and cable can deliver 600W to the GPU from a suitable PSU.

There is actually a problem with those power adapters, said the industry group responsible for PCI standards, PCI-SIG. In a letter sent to members in September, PCI-SIG said it was "aware that some implementations of the 12VHPWR connectors and assemblies have demonstrated thermal variance, which could result in safety issues under certain conditions."
Nvidia RTX 4090: So hot they're melting power cables
 

show-Zi

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Smoke and odors may be diverted to 4D visual representations of games.:p

I believe it is time for larger motherboards and other standards, such as the need for water cooling. At the very least, 4090 is a monster product. Anything can happen, and the potential for trouble is unknown.
 

The_King

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NVIDIA is responding to reports of the 12+4 pin ATX 12VHPWR power connector of its new GeForce RTX 4090 "Ada" graphics cards being unreliable, and posing a potential fire hazard. The company has reportedly instructed its add-in card (AIC) partners, companies that sell custom-design graphics cards; to collect all retail graphics cards with burnt power connectors, and send them over directly to NVIDIA HQ for investigation. Reports of the 12VHPWR connectors overheating due to improper terminal contact aren't new, but this is the first time a retail product implementing the connector is experiencing reliability issues.

It came to light when a Reddit user posted pictures of a melted 12VHPWR connector from an NVIDIA-supplied adapter that converts four 8-pin PCIe to one 600 W-capable 12VHPWR. There is also charring on the female connector on the card, but the user claims that the card is functional. Later this week, another Reddit user posted similar pictures of a burnt connector for their RTX 4090 card. NVIDIA director of global PR for GeForce, Bryan Del Rizzo, in a statement to The Verge, said that the company is in touch with the first owner who reported this problem, and is reaching out to the other, as part of their investigation.
 

show-Zi

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It seems that handling of delicate cables is necessary.

6af9e6eb.png
 

Kuttz

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A few days ago, JonnyGuru reported that most of the melting issues occurring with the 16-Pin '12VHPWR" connectors on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards were due to a bad or improper connection. Now, a new case has emerged which shows a 16-pin '12VHPWR' cable melting despite being connected properly.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16-Pin '12VHPWR' Connector Melts Despite Proper Connection, First Case of 4090 Founders Edition Also Reported.


Redditor, u/m_hijazl, posted in the NVIDIA subreddit how his custom ZOTAC GeForce RTX 4090 AMP Extreme AIRO ended up melting the 16-pin connector. The user reported that his card was running smooth and it was a huge jump in performance over his previous card, an RTX 3080 but while playing Cyberpunk 2077, his PC started flashing and he reportedly noticed a burning smell upon which he immediately cut the power from the PSU. On checking the cables, it was confirmed that the 16-pin connector on the card had melted.

 

cofer123

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What a mess NVIDIA has on their hands. Well over a month since the first reports of this happening, and they are yet to find the cause. Last week someone had their native 16-pin connector on an ATX 3.0 PSU melt as well, so no adapters involved.
 
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HarborFront

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Why he did not use a right-angled connector since there's already reports of connector failures?
 

HarborFront

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Tests by GN show melting likely caused by improper insertion and securing of cable



As connectors become larger, ensuring a secure insertion becomes a problem. This will be true of future GPUs beyond RTX 40xx

They need to have a positive way of ensuring the insertion is secure like

1) Hearing a click sound if the cable is properly inserted and secured
2) LED lights turning on GREEN for each individual pin if properly inserted and secured. If the LED light is RED then the particular pin is NOT properly inserted/secured
3) Have some kind of handle on each side of the connector on the GPU side. When the cable is inserted, the handles are pulled up and latched tight on the cable. In this manner, the cable is secured.
4) A combo of the above

By visually seeing there's no gap between the cable and the connector is not good enough to ensure a secure fit.

Of course, all these will require re-design of the connector on the GPU and the cable.
 
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The_King

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Waiting for class action lawsuits to start...;)

RTX 4090 Owner Hits Nvidia With Lawsuit Over Melting 16-pin Connector​

At least one GeForce RTX 4090 owner has taken their fight with Nvidia to the courtroom. According to Justia (opens in new tab), Lucas Genova recently filed a class action lawsuit against Nvidia over the 16-pin power adapter meltdown disaster. The lawsuit states that Genova is suing Nvidia for unjust enrichment, breach of warranty, fraud, and violations of New York’s General Business Law.

The lawsuit, which was filed in a California federal court on Nov. 11, alleges that Nvidia "marketed and sold the RTX 4090 with a defective and dangerous power cable plug and socket, which has rendered consumers' cards inoperable and poses a serious electrical and fire hazard for each and every purchaser." Genova seemingly brings the class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and all purchasers of the GeForce RTX 4090, one of the best graphics cards on the market.

The complaint narrates that the plaintiff purchased a GeForce RTX 4090 from Best Buy for $1,599.99. He is reportedly "experienced in the installation of computer componentry like graphics cards" and installed the graphics card following best practices. After installation, Genova eventually discovered that his 16-pin power adapter had melted.

The lawsuit says that "thus, Plaintiff and class members have been hit with a costly double-whammy: a premium purchase price (the MSRP is $1,599) for a dangerous product that should not have been sold in its current state."
 

silversurfer

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After studying multiple incidents involving melting and overheating 12VHPWR power adapters with the GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards for several weeks, Nvidia has finally issued an official statement.

"We are actively investigating the reports," a statement by Nvidia reads. "We are aware of about 50 cases globally. Our findings to date suggest that a common issue is that connectors are not fully plugged into the graphics card. To help ensure the connector is secure we recommend plugging the power dongle into the graphics card first to ensure it is firmly and evenly plugged in, before plugging the graphics card into the motherboard. We are investigating additional ways to ensure that the connector is secure before powering on the graphics card. Nvidia and our partners are committed to supporting our customers and ensuring an expedited RMA process, regardless of the cable or card used."
 

upnorth

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Nvidia's new RTX 4090 and 4080 GPUs both use a new connector called 12VHPWR to deliver power as a way to satisfy ever-more power-hungry graphics cards without needing to set aside the physical space required for three or four 8-pin power connectors. But that power connector and its specifications weren't created by Nvidia alone - to ensure interoperability, the spec was developed jointly by the PCI Express Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG), a body that includes Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Arm, IBM, Qualcomm, and others.

But the overheating and melting issues experienced by some RTX 4090 owners recently have apparently prompted the PCI-SIG to clarify exactly which parts of the spec it is and is not responsible for. In a statement reported by Tom's Hardware, the group sent its members a reminder that they, not the PCI-SIG, were responsible for safety testing products using connector specs like 12VHPWR.
 

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