1. Nvidia’s warranty claims increased by 1,003% in 2025, reaching $894 million, with warranty claim rates rising significantly.
2. The warranty claim rate for Nvidia’s GPUs in Q4 2025 was 0.9%, nine times higher than in Q4 2024, indicating higher defect rates.
3. Potential causes include issues with the 16-pin 12VHPWR power connector and increased use of GPUs for artificial intelligence, leading to higher wear.
4. The DRAM crisis has also contributed to increased costs for replacing defective graphics cards under warranty.
5. AMD experienced a more moderate increase in warranty claim rates, rising by two-thirds to 0.69%.
Significant Rise in Nvidia’s Warranty Claims
Recently, some reports from Warranty Week showed that Nvidia has had a massive jump in warranty claims, climbing from just $81 million in 2024 to a staggering $894 million in 2025. This huge increase of about 1,003 percent hints at bigger issues behind the scenes rather than just increased sales. The data on the rate of warranty claims also shows that more GPUs are failing at a faster pace.
Warranty Claim Rates and Industry Comparisons
The report shows, in the last quarter of 2025, Nvidia had to spend 0.9% of its GPU sales on warranty claims. That is — listen to this — nine times more than what was spent in the same period in 2024. AMD, on the other hand, saw a less drastic increase, with a rate of 0.69%, which still grew by about two thirds from the previous year. Many experts are saying that the rise in defect rates for graphics cards might be caused by several different reasons.
Possible Causes for the Increase in GPU Failures
Some think that the notorious 16-pin 12VHPWR power connectors used on Nvidia’s high-end cards like the GeForce RTX 5080 ($1,499) are part of the problem, especially because similar connectors have been used for a while now. These connectors have been known for melting and causing issues, which is not a new problem. Yet, many believe that caused the increase in faults may be more than just this issue alone, and they’re looking at other reasons as well.
The Shift to AI and Its Impact
Another point to consider is the increasing use of graphics cards in artificial intelligence tasks. Unlike gaming, where GPUs are used just a few hours a day, AI applications can keep the cards running at full capacity all the time. This constant workload can lead to more wear and tear, making these GPUs more prone to failing. As a result, the repair and replacement costs for Nvidia are rising, adding more pressure on their warranty services.
The Broader Market Dynamics
Adding to the challenge is the ongoing DRAM shortage crisis, which has driven up the costs of graphics cards. When a card breaks under warranty, the higher cost of replacement makes the situation even more expensive for manufacturers. All these factors combined suggest that the rise in warranty claims is influenced by technological issues, changing use cases, and market conditions, making it a complex problem to deal with.
