RTX 5090 cable overheats to 150 degrees Celsius
20 comments
·February 11, 2025dcrazy
Is NVIDIA breaching any consumer safety laws by pumping twice the rated current through a 24ish gauge wire? Perhaps by violating their UL certification?
michaelt
Aren't 12VHPWR cables like https://www.overclockers.co.uk/seasonic-pcie-5.0-12vhpwr-psu... 16AWG ?
Sure, there are problems with the connector. But 600W split over a 12-pin connector is 8.3A per wire, and a 16AWG / 1.5mm² wire should handle that no problem.
zamadatix
You're correct about 16AWG however "But 600W split over a 12-pin connector is 8.3A per wire" is only what _should_ ideally be occurring, not what Roman aka Der8auer _observed_ to occur. Even with his own 5090, cable, PSU, and test setup:
> Roman witnessed a hotspot of almost 130 degrees Celsius, spiking to over 150 degrees Celsius after just four minutes. With the help of a current clamp, one 12V wire was carrying over 22 Amperes of current, equivalent to 264W of power.
mirthflat83
Made some 12v-2x6 custom cables for fun and 99% sure the melting problems are from the microfit female connectors themselves. A lot of resistance going through the neck
RobotToaster
CE marking in Europe could be an issue. There's potential for a fine or forced recall.
mminer237
UL is a private company. There're no laws requiring it or penalizing violations. I would think the only legal consequences would be through civil product liability/breach of warranty claims. Plus, like, losing the certification would mean most stores would no longer stock it.
dcrazy
Many products sold in the United States must be tested in a CPSC-certified lab for conformity, of which UL is the best known. But consumer electronics don’t seem to be among that set, unless they are roped in somehow (maybe for hazardous substances?).
wnevets
Why are people using 3rd party cables after the 40 series disaster?
rkagerer
Recall in 3, 2, 1...
sjsdaiuasgdia
Different article but basically the same as https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43008879
neogodless
Macro expand:
> Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting (theverge.com)
> 136+ points
> 12 hours ago
> 122+ comments
karmakaze
The extended title and subtitle say a lot.
> -- Uneven current distribution likely the culprit
> One wire was spotted carrying 22A, more than double the max spec.
JimmyAustin
FWIW, I had the same issue with my 3090 (though I believe that uses a slightly different port?). I was using a custom cable like this guy. Nvidia replaced it under warranty, and I went back to using the (ugly) provided adapter.
anthk
150 deg? You can nearly bake a pizza with that.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43008879 ("Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting", 198 comments)
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42996057 ("First credible report of RTX 5090 FE with melted connector appears", 18 comments)
Also, indirectly,
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33349628 ("Nvidia investigating reports of RTX 4090 power cables burning or melting", 161 comments (2022))
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33327515 ("Users report Nvidia RTX 4090 GPUs with melted 16-pin power connectors", 102 comments (2022))