Since the release of the GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, NVIDIA has seen multiple reports of issues with the 12VHPWR 16-pin power connector. Power expert “JonnyGuru” from Corsair believes the problem is on the user side. JonnyGuru explained that users may not have fully inserted the 16-pin “12VHPWR” connector cable into the graphics card, which will cause problems with the connection itself, melting wires and overheating the connector.
As mentioned earlier, this theory is not new, but it is one of the ideas that has arisen in the tech world from content creators, experts, and media sources. This is also still a theory as there is no complete evidence to support this view. However, JonnyGuru did show us how he came to this conclusion through hardware and connectivity issues with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.
The demo uses a Corsair HX1500i using three PCIe cables connected to NVIDIA’s 16-pin “12VHPWR” adapter. A thermistor was included in the test to monitor the temperature, and knots were tied around the wires to make sure the cable didn’t bend too hard.
To reproduce the problem, he set out to destroy the durability of the connectors, especially the joints soldered at the junctions. After that test, everything was still working, but the connector temperature was already up to 53°C.
Next, he looked at all known cases of melted and warped connections, looked at every published picture, and compared the undamaged connections to those in melting and overheating problems. Recognizing the similarities of all manufacturers, he came to a conclusion:
"Any 12VHPWR connector has the potential to burn out as these units can be difficult to fully plug in."
Most of the images with broken cables or connections are not fully connected to the GPU. He recommends that users with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards, who are concerned about the same thing happening to them, can use dielectric grease (about $4 on Amazon) for the power connector, a small amount can do a great job Help the connector plug into place.
Nvidia has not released any details or answers to the public since the incident began. It is understood that the company has made this issue a top priority. At the same time, officials shared a new notice from PCI-SIG that may suggest that a new revision of the 16-pin “12VHPWR” cable will be released by December 6, 2022. The latest review area shows that an ECR or Engineering Change Request has been made and will close by December 20, 2022.
