It's rare to see a hardware manufacturer offering a replacement for damage that was caused by the customer's hands, but it looks like the user was lucky.
NVIDIA Agrees to Replace RTX 5090 FE Card, Which Got its Connector Broken While Attempting to Install a Water Block
A few days ago, we reported an incident where a user tried to install a waterblock on his NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition, but its connector got damaged in the process. YouTuber and PC repair specialist NorthridgeFix called the RTX 5090 FE one of the worst GPU designs in the history of GPUs, since it has many bits and pieces, which makes it hard to assemble it back.
This gets particularly difficult when you are connecting the PCIe x16 connector back to the small connector present on the PCB, which can cause broken and bent pins, as was seen in this case. Since there is no replacement for that, the user contacted NVIDIA and informed them about the incident. As the video by NorthridgeFix is proof of the damage, NVIDIA promised the user that they will offer a replacement for this card.
This could be because that video is popular and the unusual design of the Founders Edition has been covered by many publications. That said, NVIDIA agreeing to replace the card is still appreciable since such damages aren't covered under warranty. NorthridgeFix says that he is in contact with the user and has asked him to update him about the situation later when he gets the replacement.
Now, while it's good that NVIDIA agreed for the replacement, it doesn't mean you should be doing the same. NVIDIA's RTX 5090 Founders Edition design isn't something you should mess with, and once you remove that small connector, there is a high chance that you will have the pins broken, and NVIDIA won't likely replace them. It's better to mod a custom edition, but it's better to leave the Founders Edition card with its stock cooler.
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