Key Takeaways
1. A user experienced a dead RTX 5090, initially thought to be user error due to third-party cables.
2. Der8auer investigated and found severe burns on both connectors and cable shielding, indicating a serious issue.
3. One cable was pushing nearly 260 Watts (22 Amperes) through a single wire, far exceeding the recommended 5-6 Amperes.
4. Thermal images revealed a hot spot over 100 degrees near the PSU, suggesting potential for cable failure under extreme conditions.
5. Caution is advised with power setups for the RTX 5090, and it’s too early to blame the hardware without further investigation from Nvidia.
Getting an RTX 5090 turned out to be quite a challenge, and for the few lucky ones who did get their hands on one, there was an unfortunate incident where a user ended up with an extremely costly piece of junk. Recently, on Reddit, one user shared their troubles with a dead RTX 5090, and many thought it was just a case of user fault since they were utilizing a third-party cable.
A Deeper Investigation
However, Der8auer connected with the user to check out the damaged GPU and its cables. His findings tell a completely different story. In a video he shared, you can see that both sides of the connectors were entirely burnt. The cable’s shielding also suffered burns from the intense current flowing through it. Notably, this issue occurred with just one wire on the 12V-2×6 cable, suggesting that it carried more current than the others.
Shocking Power Draw
Using a cable provided by Nvidia, Der8auer discovered that one cable was pushing nearly 260 Watts (22 Amperes) through a single wire, which is drastically higher than the advised range of 5-6 Amperes. Thermal images taken during the test confirmed the presence of a hot spot exceeding 100 degrees near the power supply unit (PSU). This indicates that any cable, even those supplied by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), can fail under such conditions.
Caution Advised
While there may be real concerns regarding how the RTX 5090 draws power from the PSU, this is just one documented case, and it’s too soon to start blaming the hardware. Nvidia has not yet provided an official statement on the matter. It might take some time for them to respond, as they are likely preoccupied with addressing black screen problems that have arisen from a recent driver update.
