RTX 4090 power cables are melting - what went wrong and what to do
posted Sunday Nov 20, 2022 by Scott Ertz
The next generation of GeForce RTX video cards is here, but unfortunately for users, the RTX 4090 is experiencing a serious issue: the power cables are melting. A lot of early speculation was made about the cause of the problem, but a reason appears to have been identified. And, as we have come to expect with any modern hardware issue, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the company.
The cause of the problem
With the new generation of GeForce RTX cards also came a new power connector. This new 12VHPWR connector combines the capabilities of the previous 6-pin and 8-pin connectors into a single, powerful setup. It also eliminates the common issue of confusing the board power and video card power connectors, something that we see often in custom builds.
Unfortunately for users, the plug appears to have been causing problems. In particular, the connector itself has been melting in RTX 4090 graphics cards. Obviously, with new hardware and a massive defect, rumors began circulating quickly about a possible cause. According to early reports, it was believed that the RTX 4090 power cables were melting at the ends due to a defect in the hardware that specifically targets them. This theoretical hardware defect was believed to be causing an electrical short.
However, according to both a report from Gamers Nexus and a direct response from Nvidia themselves, it appears that the actual cause is the plug not being correctly inserted into the card correctly. This misconnected port then creates the heating issue that is melting the plugs.
The solution
According to the report, the solution is to pay attention to your plug and port as you are preparing your build. First and foremost, ensure that there is no physical damage to the port or plug. Many of the incidents appear to have had physical damage ahead of building the PC. For others, the issue has been created by debris within the connection, caused by the manufacture of the card or the plug. Another potential source of debris could be from inserting and removing the cable, shaving off bits of plastic inside of the port.
So, if you have a GeForce RTX 4090, keep a close eye on the hardware as you are building your PC. Ensure there is no debris. If you plug the power in and remove it, blow out both sides to ensure and new debris has been removed. Then, most importantly, make sure that the plug is seated in the port firmly without and jiggle. If there is, don't power on the computer. Instead, look for damage and replace the broken piece.
Lawsuits in progress
There is a lawsuit in progress at the moment for the RTX 4090 due to the melting power cables. The class action lawsuit alleges that the company was negligent because they did not test their product before it went into production, which led to these problems. According to the complaint,
{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.
