- A user has reported that their Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT NITRO+ graphics card is experiencing a melting connector issue.
- The GPU in question used the 12V-2X6 connector design, which also melted in ASrock’s Taichi RX 9070 XT.
- Four of the eight pins in the adapter were burned, pointing to unequal power distribution.
The 12V-2X6 connector design was introduced in 2025 as a new evolution in power management for graphics cards, as it easily accommodates more than 300 watts. However, so far, only two AMD board partners, namely ASRock and Sapphire, have adopted this new design over the 12VHPWR model introduced in 2023.
ASRock’s Taichi RX 9070XT model has already suffered due to this issue, with users reporting that their power supplies have melted. And now, the Sapphire GPUs have also entered the unfortunate conversation of melting connectors.
Why it matters: A new connector design that encounters the same problems it was intended to solve is not good news for gamers and companies like AMD.
As revealed on Reddit, a user’s Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT NITRO+ graphics card suffered from a melting connector issue, the first ever such case reported for this variant. The user in question was powering this GPU through the blue-tipped adapter, which was connected to three 8-pin cables from a Corsair RM1000X PSU.
Four of the eight pins exhibited visible burn marks, which could indicate a larger issue of unequal power distribution in the 12V-2X6 connector.
The Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT NITRO+ only consumes around 360W, according to the replies on the Reddit post. Hence, this melting problem is a stain on the reputation of the 12V-2X6 connectors, which were introduced to address the power issues of the 12VHPWR connector design.
The latter of these connectors has even landed PCI-SIG in legal trouble due to the melting issue. Hence, if this eternal problem persists in the 12V-2X6 connectors, AMD and NVIDIA may need to rethink the future of this design.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.