All RTX 5090 GPUs Could Burn Out Due To Imbalanced Power Delivery

Expert Verified By

NVIDIA’s Cable ‘Fix’ Isn’t Fixing Much.

Story Highlight
  • The new 12V-2×6 cable still faces overheating issues, similar to the 12VHPWR, due to fluctuating current from GPU voltage converters.
  • The fluctuating current causes thermal failure and higher resistance at the cable’s contact point, raising temperatures and reducing stability.
  • Testing revealed an imbalance between the cables, connectors, and power supply, affecting GPU stability and life. 

In just a few weeks since the RTX 5090 was released, we’ve already seen a scenario with burned graphics cards similar to the RTX 4090.

Although there have been a few instances, it should be noted that compared to the previous generation, very few graphics cards have been sold, so the likelihood of it occurring is significantly higher.

Why it matters: The fluctuating current can lead to overheating and potential damage to the graphics card, shortening its lifespan and affecting performance. 

The “renewed” 12V-2×6 cables, which were supposed to be the solution to the 12VHPWR issue, are the most affected. We’ve already seen examinations of cable degradation by Der8auer, Buildzoid, and others. Now, let’s see what Igor’s Lab thinks.

According to Igor’s Lab, the RTX 50 cables’ contact area overheating could be caused by a mechanical issue, and the cable itself could also be at fault. As we can see, he has already analyzed similar issues with the RTX 4090, and the 12V-2×6 cable hasn’t made a significant difference.

Igor also points out that the GPU voltage converters produce a fluctuating (pulsed) current rather than a steady direct voltage. Capacitors and filters are used to try to create a continuous voltage that is as stable as possible.

He also believes that NVIDIA’s efforts to reduce the size of its graphics cards have resulted in a lack of a suitable filter system to manage these peaks, which has an impact on its stability and life.

Furthermore, a pulsating current might result in thermal failure and an increase in resistance at the cables’ point of contact. The reason for this is that high-frequency currents flow across the conductors’ surface, reducing their effective area and raising their density, which raises the temperature.

Finally, Igor tested both the MSI RTX 5090 SUPRIM and the RTX 5090 Founders Edition to confirm that there are minor balancing concerns between the cables and that changing cables did not result in a significant imbalance.

According to Igor’s conclusion, this imbalance is a combination of the cables themselves, the graphics card connectors, and the power supply.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Astro Bot Director Calls for More Small Games in an Era of Backlog Fatigue

Astro Bot director believes that developers should create smaller games as players already have a backlog of games.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 1 Million Players In Under 24 Hours

Ubisoft has confirmed a huge milestone for Assassin's Creed Shadows, with the game reaching 1 million players already.

Xbox Head Phil Spencer Teases More Live-Action Gaming Projects

Phil Spencer teases more live-action adaptations of Xbox video games and said they've learnt a lot from failures like Halo.

The Last of Us Part 2 Requirements Point To Optimized PC Port

The Last of Us Part 2 has received official PC system requirements, and they are much lighter than most expected.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Currently Dominating Steam As #1 Global Best-Seller

Assassin's Creed Shadows seems to be performing well against all odds, reaching the top of Steam's best-sellers list.