A new generation of graphics cards appears to be facing a familiar and alarming problem. An owner of NVIDIA’s flagship MSI Ventus RTX 5090 has reported a complete failure of the GPU’s power connector, which physically burned and melted despite what they describe as a careful and correct setup.
This incident raises renewed concerns about the reliability of high-power connectors in top-tier gaming hardware, echoing issues that plagued some previous-generation cards.
A Catastrophic Failure During Gameplay
The user, who purchased the card new in April 2025, reported the failure occurred while playing Tekken 8 in 4K resolution. Their PC suddenly rebooted and would subsequently crash every time a game was launched.
Upon investigation, the cause was clear: both the 16-pin power adapter (the 12VHPWR connector) and the corresponding port on the MSI Ventus RTX 5090 itself had suffered severe burn damage. The user is now engaged in the RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) process with MSI for a repair or replacement.
“I Was Extremely Careful”: A Frustrated User’s Account
What makes this case particularly noteworthy is the user’s insistence that they took every known precaution to prevent this exact issue. Aware of connector problems reported with older cards, they ensured their setup followed all recommended best practices:
- No Cable Bend: The card was installed in a large case to prevent the adapter from being bent sharply against the side panel, a known risk factor.
- Proper Power Cables: They used four individual PCIe power cables from their power supply to the adapter, rather than daisy-chained cables, to ensure adequate power delivery.
- High-Quality PSU: The cables were connected to a robust EVGA SuperNOVA G2 Gold 1300W power supply, eliminating the possibility of a low-quality PSU being the cause.
- Stock Settings: The GPU was running at stock settings with no overclocking, mods, or custom firmware.
Their experience has led to significant frustration, directing criticism at the connector’s design. In their words, they feel like “suckers” with no alternative for top-tier performance, but they advise others considering mid-range cards like an RTX 5070 Ti to “get an AMD equivalent that doesn’t use this poorly engineered 16pin connector.”
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A Recurring Concern for High-Performance Hardware
This incident is not isolated. It follows a pattern of similar failures reported with the 12VHPWR connector on high-end RTX 40-series cards when they launched. While the connector was designed to deliver the immense power required by next-gen GPUs, its physical tolerances are exacting.
The industry released updated design guidelines (12V-2×6) to improve safety, but this report suggests the risk may persist with the latest generation when pushing the absolute limits of performance. For owners of any high-power GPU, this serves as a critical reminder to visually inspect power connections periodically for any signs of melting, discoloration, or a faint burning smell.
Source: Reddit