Repair shop reports receiving 200 melted RTX 4090s per month, up from last year

[Daniel Sims]

A hot potato: The controversy surrounding melting RTX 4090 power cable adapters continues. Users began reporting burned connectors over a year ago, and the problem persisted long after Nvidia's official statement blamed user error. Although the company upgraded to safer plugs, CableMod recalled its third-party adapters, and a repair shop still receives hundreds of damaged units each month.

In a new video showcasing the repair of yet another burned RTX 4090 power connector, repair shop Northridge Fix states that it restored around 200 GPUs in a month. The number indicates a concerning increase since last fall when the shop's YouTube channel reported around 100 per month.

Northridge Fix says that it currently receives 4090s with melted connectors every day. The shop's latest video shows a box full of dozens of connectors to show the scale of the problem (below).

Users have complained of burning 4090 power cables since October 2022. Nvidia acknowledged around 50 cases worldwide and blamed user error, while others, including the PCIe consortium, suggested a design flaw was to blame.

Despite Nvidia rolling out GPUs with safer connectors last summer, incidents remain worryingly frequent. Custom vendor CableMod began a voluntary recall for its V1.0 and V1.1 12VHPWR 90-degree and 180-degree adapters last December. That became a mandatory recall in February after the Consumer Product Safety Commission got involved.

Many of the adapters that Northridge repaired were CableMod units, but other manufacturers are also affected. When asked for thoughts on the recalled adapters, the channel said that CableMod built a good product on a lousy foundation and got caught in the crossfire, suggesting that the problem lies with Nvidia – a criticism it has held since the beginning of the mess.

Several companies have come up with innovative solutions to the problem. For instance, Seasonic suggests gradually angling the cables with a hairdryer. Meanwhile, MSI has introduced brightly colored connectors that clearly indicate when they aren't fully connected. Gigabyte has taken a different route by designing a GPU with a 'cut out' to provide extra cable space.

Asus has an idea of building GPUs without power cables. In January, the company unveiled an RTX 4070Ti and 4090 that receive power through a new motherboard socket, reducing cable clutter and hopefully eliminating a potential safety hazard.

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Repair shop reports receiving 200 melted RTX 4090s per month, up from last year

 

[yRaz]

Who would have thought that putting 4x the power through a smaller connector would cause problems.

Anyone with a basic electrical understanding. You use thicker gauge wire for higher amps. This is a fundamental rule that can't be worked around. The 12VHP connector has smaller pins than the 8pin pcie connector and less of them. 12 pins for 600 watts instead of 4x8pin connectors to reach 600 watts.

There have to be internal memos or something about this and nVidia moving forward with it anyway.

 

[redgarl]

Yep... and that without counting PCB cracking and GPU solder link failures...

If you buy a 4090, you are a whale.

 

[redgarl]

Who would have thought that putting 4x the power through a smaller connector would cause problems.

Anyone with a basic electrical understanding. You use thicker gauge wire for higher amps. This is a fundamental rule that can't be worked around. The 12VHP connector has smaller pins than the 8pin pcie connector and less of them. 12 pins for 600 watts instead of 4x8pin connectors to reach 600 watts.

There have to be internal memos or something about this and nVidia moving forward with it anyway.

As long as you buy their stuff, they don`t care.

 

[trparky]

As long as you buy their stuff, they don't care.

That's why I bought an AMD GPU instead. I voted with my wallet.

 

[Achaios]

The ppl who buy 4090's are whales so I do not really mourn their loss. Zero sympathy from me.

It's the same ppl who have been begging the Leatherman to take their money and the same ppl who have been driving prices up to the Stratosphere through dumping inordinate amounts of money on 90 and 80 series GPUs.

I am sure they will have no problems buying one more or two 4090's.

The worst that it can happen is that their wives will be unable to do their fingernails 4 times a week and will have to dial it down to twice per week for a month or so.

 

[Uncle Al]

Regardless of all this you would think the consumer protection agency would be on them to provide a fool-proof solution of some kind .....

 

[Atmajaya2020]

How can Nvidia get away with this meltdown case...?
what about consumer rights..?

 

[toooooot]

The ppl who buy 4090's are whales so I do not really mourn their loss. Zero sympathy from me.

It's the same ppl who have been begging the Leatherman to take their money and the same ppl who have been driving prices up to the Stratosphere through dumping inordinate amounts of money on 90 and 80 series GPUs.

I am sure they will have no problems buying one more or two 4090's.

The worst that it can happen is that their wives will be unable to do their fingernails 4 times a week and will have to dial it down to twice per week for a month or so.

Nothing of this sort would not be possible without cryptocurrency fever first, and AI later.
Nvidia was just there at the right place in history. And if AI keeps progressing at this rate, Huang
could soon double the prices for his high-end cards, or better yet, stop selling it to gamers and instead send them to Chinese AI companies where they are ready to pay even more.

 

[p51d007]

Who would have thought that putting 4x the power through a smaller connector would cause problems.

Anyone with a basic electrical understanding. You use thicker gauge wire for higher amps. This is a fundamental rule that can't be worked around. The 12VHP connector has smaller pins than the 8pin pcie connector and less of them. 12 pins for 600 watts instead of 4x8pin connectors to reach 600 watts.

There have to be internal memos or something about this and nVidia moving forward with it anyway.

Yep, you don't want to tick off Ohm's Law.

 

[nnguy2]

It's still the customers fault right ?

 

[Theinsanegamer]

It's still the customers fault right ?

Yes, its the customers fault for buying nVidia.

That's why I bought an AMD GPU instead. I voted with my wallet.

Still dont regret going team RED. Especially if you want to move to linux, you wont regret it.

 

[nnguy2]

Yes, its the customers fault for buying nVidia.

Well played lol.

I've been team read since 2012-2013 and the 290X.

 

[daffy duck]

And to think AMD wouldn't have a bar of Nvidia's solution and stuck with trusty old 8 pin connectors which by the way have a safety margin of 90% vs the pathetic 10% 12 pin crap. 2 8 pin connectors can provide 450W + the 75W from PCI-E so 525W more than enough even for 4090.

 

[Watzupken]

I think it is now very obvious the connector is problematic. The issue is very specific to RTX 4090 which draws the most power and hence, most vulnerable to overheating. So too much power, too little contact/ wire, heat will surely be an issue. And the other thing is that even PCI SIG have quietly introduce a revised version of this connector that Nvidia also silently adopted with latter RTX 4xxx cards.

In my opinion, the thought of trying to reduce cable clutter is good. But I think Nvidia either failed to thoroughly test it, or simply just dismissed the issue too quickly.

 

[loki1944]

Nvidia should be fined by govermenttrade comissions at this point for negligent design.

 

[Nobina]

I thought Nvidia made stable, high quality products.

 

[Disiw]

"Many of the adapters that Northridge repaired were CableMod units"

I bet it was 99% CableMod cables resulting in this. Garbage brand.

My 4090 has been running flawlessly since release day using native 12VHPWR/12V-2x6. Clicked right in and stays in. Zero issues at all.

 

[godrilla]

"Many of the adapters that Northridge repaired were CableMod units"

I bet it was 99% CableMod cables resulting in this. Garbage brand.

My 4090 has been running flawlessly since release day using native 12VHPWR/12V-2x6. Clicked right in and stays in. Zero issues at all.

Where did you get this cable? I am at a cross roads Change the Seasonic atx 3.0 Vertex 1000 psu default cable ( that works perfectly fine with my 4090 @ 3 ghz) or change to a newer cable standard? Gpuz says power delivery at 12.4 volts with no variances.

 

[Endymio]

I thought Nvidia made stable, high quality products.

Golly, it's just so much FUN to hate, isn't it? No logical thought process required. NVidia doesn't make graphics cards, you realize? Their GPUs aren't exhibiting problems. And NVidia's suggested reference design for the AIB manufacturers who DO make these cards specifies a plug able to handle the power draw of the card. The vast majority of these problems are occurring from one single cable manufacturer who poorly designed their own product.

 

[Adhmuz]

Regardless of all this you would think the consumer protection agency would be on them to provide a fool-proof solution of some kind .....

They sure did when it came to CableMods cables, however, they aren't nearly as big a fish either. I can only assume there is some shady corporate lobbying going on behind the scenes keeping the spotlight off nVidia's back.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Golly, it's just so much FUN to hate, isn't it? No logical thought process required. NVidia doesn't make graphics cards, you realize? Their GPUs aren't exhibiting problems. And NVidia's suggested reference design for the AIB manufacturers who DO make these cards specifies a plug able to handle the power draw of the card. The vast majority of these problems are occurring from one single cable manufacturer who poorly designed their own product.

It really is fun to hate, especially when a company DESERVES it. Nvidia designed this garbage connector, if it didnt have such pathetic safety margins and bigger bins, then cablemod connectors wouldnt be burning. Nothing quite like torching a multi billion dollar company for making incredibly dumb decisions.

 

[Faelan]

That's why I bought an AMD GPU instead. I voted with my wallet.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with the current AI craze, I don’t think they really care all that much. If we gamers walk away from Nvidia, they’ll just reallocate the fab capacity towards more AI GPUs.

 

[Marco Mint]

Golly, it's just so much FUN to hate, isn't it? No logical thought process required. NVidia doesn't make graphics cards, you realize? Their GPUs aren't exhibiting problems. And NVidia's suggested reference design for the AIB manufacturers who DO make these cards specifies a plug able to handle the power draw of the card. The vast majority of these problems are occurring from one single cable manufacturer who poorly designed their own product.

I think what's really fun is making an intelligent decision of not to buy a flawed product, then seeing all the other people that had the same info as yourself proceed to jump off a cliff while you stand by and watch the chit-show.
What kind of person sees gpu's cracking and melting, then thinks, "ima gonna buy me one of those!"
I think you know the answer.

 

[hwertz]

Yeah it's crazy; even following PCIe recommendations, the connectors have like

Who would have thought that putting 4x the power through a smaller connector would cause problems.

Anyone with a basic electrical understanding. You use thicker gauge wire for higher amps. This is a fundamental rule that can't be worked around. The 12VHP connector has smaller pins than the 8pin pcie connector and less of them. 12 pins for 600 watts instead of 4x8pin connectors to reach 600 watts.

There have to be internal memos or something about this and nVidia moving forward with it anyway.

Precisely. By the normal specifications used for house wiring, or higher current 12V applications, or whatever, the PCIe spec is already pushing it. (The standards used for almost every kind of electrical wiring include a healthy "margin of error" so you won't get melting or fires just because the seating is not absolutely perfect.) Even the PCIe 8 pin connector would either be 12-pin or would use thicker pins (for larger contact area) if it followed normal electrical practices. The 12 pin plug Nvidia is using is madness.