A Familiar Problem Surfaces on a New GPU
A troubling issue that once plagued high-end NVIDIA graphics cards appears to have found its way to the AMD side. A Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT NITRO+, a premium AMD graphics card, has been reported with a melted power connector. This incident marks the first known case for Sapphire and adds a new chapter to the ongoing concerns surrounding the 12V-2×6 power connector design.
This new connector, intended to deliver more power in a smaller footprint, was adopted by only two of AMD’s board partners: ASRock and Sapphire. Interestingly, this is not the first time the connector has been implicated in such a failure; an ASRock Taichi RX 9070 XT model was previously reported with a similar issue. The recurrence on a different brand’s card is what is now catching the attention of the PC hardware community.
The Incident: A High-End Card with a Damaged Adapter
The report comes from a Reddit user who owned the Sapphire NITRO+ RX 9070 XT. According to the user, the graphics card was powered using the blue-tipped 12V-2×6 to triple 8-pin adapter that came included with the GPU. This adapter was connected to a Corsair RM1000x power supply, a high-quality unit that, like many older models, lacks a native 16-pin port.
While the user did not share photos of the GPU’s connector itself, they provided images showing clear burn marks on at least four pins of the blue-tipped adapter. This visible damage suggests there was an uneven distribution of power and significant heat buildup at the connection point. The user has since assumed the graphics card is no longer safe to use.
Context and Lingering Questions
What makes this case particularly noteworthy is the card’s power consumption. The Sapphire NITRO+ RX 9070 XT is a high-end model, but it consumes around 360 watts—significantly less than the power-hungry flagships from NVIDIA that were at the center of the previous connector melting controversy. This has led to questions about whether the problem is solely related to extreme power draw or if other factors, such as the design of the connectors or adapters themselves, play a larger role.
The industry is now watching to see how AMD, NVIDIA, and their partners will respond. Both GPU giants have remained quiet about the future of the 12V-2×6 connector. It is unclear whether a further hardware revision is needed or if manufacturers will need to implement more sophisticated safety systems, like advanced overheating detection and power-balancing circuits, directly onto their graphics cards.
Also, Read
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- AMD & Sony Reveal Next-Gen GPU Tech – Radiance Cores, Neural Arrays & Universal Compression
For now, this incident serves as a cautionary tale for owners of new high-end GPUs, regardless of brand, to ensure their power connections are fully seated and to be vigilant for any signs of overheating.
Source: Reddit