This might be the most horrible burning ever to happen to a GPU connector, but this raises concerns given that connectors are not designed to fail this way.
NVIDIA RTX 5090 16-pin Power Connector Catches Fire; Burns So Badly That The Connector is Unrecognizable
Melting 16-pin power connectors is very common, but in most cases, you see slight melting on the cable or the GPU itself. However, there have been cases when the connector has caught fire, but not many such reports have emerged till now. This one might be worse of all since the connector looks completely charred here.
The Redditor u/nmp14fayl reported that he has been using his RTX 5090 GPU for nearly nine months. On Christmas Eve, his GPU suddenly decided to die. From the looks of it, it appears that the connector did not just burn and turn into ashes, but also took down the GPU's connector by melting it horribly. A few inches of the cable have been burnt quite badly as well. However, this raises serious safety concerns, as electronic components are not expected to produce open flames under any certified operating conditions.
The user also clarified that he owned an ATX 3.1-compliant PSU (PowerSpec 1050 GFM) and used a native 12V-2x6 power cable that came with it. So, we aren't seeing usage of the 16-pin adapters that MSI ships with its GPUs. From the pics, we can see that there doesn't appear to be any sharp bends near the connector, but it isn't clear whether the user took the pics after removing the GPU from the motherboard, or if it was installed vertically as it appears.
Maybe the cable wasn't that good at all, and it clearly left burn marks on the AIO tubing as well. The user says that he didn't try to remove the cable from the GPU connector, which most likely won't come out anyway. He is now going to try his luck by visiting Micro Center, where he bought this PC. The good thing is that his other parts are apparently unaffected, including the PSU.
News Source: Reddit
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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