RTX 4090 Owners Beware: Overheating Crisis Continues

NVIDIA’s mid-to-high-end GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, are equipped with a 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. Since late 2022, there have been frequent reports from users about overheating and melting at the power supply interface, with damage also visible at the cable connectors. This issue is particularly pronounced in high-end, high-power consumption models such as the RTX 4090. In response, PCI-SIG prepared an improved connector design in 2023, named “12V-2×6,” which was included in the CEM 5.1 specification to mitigate such incidents.

Recently, GPU repair service NorthridgeFix released a video stating that the overheating and melting issues with the RTX 4090 power supply interface remain severe, with approximately 200 RTX 4090 graphics cards needing repair each month. The video showcased a box full of burned 12VHPWR connectors.

NorthridgeFix also revealed that many of the RTX 4090 graphics cards were using Cablemod’s custom 12VHPWR adapters. While NorthridgeFix praised the design, they lamented that it was built on an imperfect standard. Two months ago, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a notice urging consumers to immediately stop using and contact Cablemod for a recall of these custom adapters.

Due to varying factors such as different power supplies, connectors, and workload levels, not all RTX 4090 graphics cards experience these issues, nor do they occur at the same time. Some may only be in use for a few months, while others might only exhibit damage after more than a year. Additionally, NorthridgeFix did not specify how many of the affected RTX 4090 graphics cards were using connectors based on the old or new standards. At the end of the video, NorthridgeFix also demonstrated the process of replacing the connectors.