The launch of Nvidia’s RTX 5090 has been met with overwhelming demand, but emerging reports suggest the flagship GPU may be facing critical power-related issues. Following initial concerns over driver-related failures, a new incident has surfaced involving a melted power connector, raising alarms about potential overheating and power delivery problems.
A Reddit user, /u/ivan6953, detailed his experience with an RTX 5090 that suffered a power failure while running Battlefield V. He described noticing a burning smell before quickly shutting down his system, only to discover significant thermal damage to both the GPU-side and PSU-side power connectors. The affected cable, which he had previously used without issue with an RTX 4090, was securely connected and should have handled the GPU’s 500-520W power draw without issue. Despite this, the connector melted, fueling speculation that the issue may stem from Nvidia’s power design rather than user error.
Nvidia previously claimed that the RTX 50-series would not suffer the same power failures as the RTX 4090, which became notorious for melting 12VHPWR connectors. However, hardware expert and YouTuber Roman “der8auer” Hartung investigated the issue and found troubling results. Testing his own RTX 5090 Founders Edition, he monitored power distribution and discovered that two of the power cables quickly reached dangerously high temperatures of up to 150°C. His testing also revealed that one of the 12V cables was handling a disproportionately high electrical load, potentially increasing the risk of failure. Concerned about damaging his hardware, he aborted the test but concluded that the problem was “extremely concerning.”
This development echoes the power failures that plagued the RTX 4090, which resulted in legal action against Nvidia. The company had promised a redesign to prevent such issues, but early indications suggest that the fix may not be entirely effective. Hartung suggested that Nvidia could have implemented dual power connectors to balance power distribution and reduce the strain on a single connection. With RTX 5090 availability still limited, it remains unclear how widespread the issue is, but early adopters may want to exercise caution. Any affected users are advised to report their cases to Nvidia for further examination.