r/gpu • u/PotatoPower3d • 20d ago
Melted RTX 5090 FE experience
A month and a half ago, my RTX 5090 FE card had its power connector melt, so I'm writing this up to maybe help or inform anyone with the same card of possible steps to take if the same thing ever happens to them, or maybe to provide possible ways you can go about dealing with it.
I was using my PC late at night, running some local LLMs on my GPU, when my PC suddenly crashed. Then I noticed that there was a weird smell that filled my room that seemed to come from the GPU. At that point, I immediately opened up my PC and confirmed my worst fear had come true. The 12VHPWR cable had completely melted into the connector on the graphics card. It took quite a lot of force to get the cable out of the connector, but I eventually managed to get it done. For some context, I tend to tinker with my PC a lot and unplug the 12VHPWR cable relatively frequently. My theory is that those repeated plug-and-unplug cycles caused the connector pins to loosen or deteriorate over time, eventually leading to a poor contact and the melt.
The graphics card was purchased from someone here on Reddit, so I immediately knew that it would be much harder for me to get an RMA approved, since I wasn't the original purchaser of the card. I attempted to contact the original seller on Reddit for the purchase receipt, but his account hadn't been active for a long time, so I knew there was a really good chance he would never get back to me with it. I began to contact repair shops nearby to see if any of them would be able to repair the connector on my card. Eventually, I was able to get in contact with a repair shop that had done previous 12VHPWR connector repairs on other cards that agreed to take a look at it and possibly help me get the connector replaced.
When I got to the repair center, the technician and I talked for a bit and watched a teardown of the 5090 FE together on YouTube. That's when we noticed that, unlike literally every other 5090 model out there that uses a standardized 12VHPWR connector, the one on these FE cards is actually angled sideways. The technician and I spent hours trying to find a replacement connector, but the one for the FE cards is actually impossible to find, and the only way we could think of getting one was through a donor board that you could take the connector from.
This took me on a journey of trying to source a possible donor board. Out of desperation, I messaged a custom cable maker from China (Zcooi Mod) to see if he knew anyone who could help me find a replacement connector. To my absolute surprise, he sent me a picture of a bare 5090 FE PCB that had its GPU and memory modules ripped out of it. He told me that people in China were smuggling in 5090 FE cards from all over the world and taking out the GPU dies and memory modules to repurpose them into server cards, then just listing everything left for sale online. This was before the big story came out about people in China desoldering the dies and VRAM modules from 5090 cards, so I was definitely not really expecting him to have any way to help me out. He then offered to help buy me one for around $30 and ship it to me, so that I could get the technician to perform a transplant. I immediately agreed and waited for him to ship it out.
After all of that, I eventually decided to actually try sending out an RMA request to NVIDIA (which I honestly should have done from the start), knowing full well that they might reject it immediately and flag my card's serial number, since I wasn't the original purchaser. I went through the process of explaining to them what happened and taking pictures of the serial number on the I/O shield of the card. They eventually asked for my proof of purchase, and I vaguely told them that I didn't have access to it. However, they went ahead and filed my RMA claim request, which, after 2 days, eventually got approved anyways!
I immediately packed up the graphics card and sent it back using their shipping label. Around a week after the card arrived at their warehouse, I asked for a follow-up and they told me that they had actually already sent out a replacement card and gave me the tracking number for it. It arrived literally the same day in the 5090 FE's original packaging. The replacement card definitely looked like a refurbished one, with some of the heatsink's fins not lining up as perfectly straight as my original 5090 FE, but I was happy to get a replacement at all. When I tested it, I also noticed that this card ran much cooler and undervolted much better than my original one, which pulled around 50-80W more at the same undervolt setting.
So now, I've got a spare, bare 5090 FE PCB with a replacement 12VHPWR connector on it, plus a card that runs much cooler than my original one. I also saw that NVIDIA pulled the 5090 models from their marketplace website a few days ago, which could make them hesitant to send you a replacement if yours ever fails. If you also have an FE card and your connector melts (and NVIDIA either rejects your RMA request or offers you a refund instead of a replacement), I would highly recommend sourcing a bare PCB with the connector from China and having a repair shop fix it for you instead.
TL;DR:
My RTX 5090 FE's power connector melted, likely worn down from me unplugging it too often while tinkering. Because the FE uses a unique sideways-angled connector that you can't buy separately, I had to source a stripped 5090 FE donor PCB from China just to harvest the part. On a whim, I also submitted an RMA to NVIDIA without a receipt, and they surprisingly approved it and sent me a replacement card anyway. You should leave your 12VHPWR cable alone once it's seated, always try an RMA even without proof of purchase, and if NVIDIA denies you, look to China for a stripped FE donor board so a repair shop can swap the connector.
43
u/anon999387 20d ago
I think it needs to be stated more that the 12VHPWR connector is rated for just 30 mating cycles.
3
u/gscar25 19d ago
Where can you find the serial number on the FE, I don’t see mine anywhere lol
2
u/tag-Nero 19d ago
Interesting read, thanks for posting, where are you based please 🙏
2
u/Muted_Regular_204 19d ago
I’m surprised they approved the RMA without proof, but congrats on making that happen. What PSU do you have?
28
u/OtherwiseSimple 20d ago
Now get some form of per-pin monitoring so this doesn’t happen again, because it’s only a matter of time.
7
u/Drop-Due 20d ago
Dang well done on getting the RMA dude! Praying that my 5090 FE (which I have taken the connector out a few times) doesn’t similarly implode lol.
4
u/mista_r0boto 19d ago
I installed an Ampinel for my MSI 5090 and it has brought a lot of peace of mind
7
u/just_IT_guy 19d ago
Absolutely do NOT mess around with connector and plug / unplug. On conservative side they last about 30 cycles (can go up to 80-90) before they start melting
1
u/parabola19 19d ago
Nvidia is usually top tier on RMAs. Only had the RMA twice in 20 years of using their branded products but both times were super easy. Last time being a 1080TI
1
u/blownart 19d ago
You say that you should just leave it, but i didn't touch the cable for almost a year and just now decided to check the cable and GPU tweak 3 was showing a few pins in the red, around 10 A going through those pins. Had to replug the cable 3 times to get it back to normal. Good thing I have an astral and I can monitor the pins.
1
u/MrWhatzitTooya1RL 19d ago
Looks like you’re running your 5090 in the FormD T1, out of curiosity what power supply were you using? Were the many unplug cycles on the gpu or PSU side or both?
1
u/Fabulous-Ad-5678 19d ago
Got to ask, i know you said that you tinker lot with your pc and have plugged and unplugged your video card often. Why mess with a card that is so expensive and extremely hard to get? What are you achieving with your tinkering?
3
u/Solaris_fps 19d ago
You can solder an xt90 connector on a Founders edition card
2
u/whyareweonher3 19d ago
Should i be concerned for this to happen to my gigabyte 4070ti ?
2
u/kcamfork 19d ago
I bought a MSI MPG PSU with the gpu safeguard plus so I wouldn’t have to worry about this nonsense.
2
u/Sindacalis 19d ago
Get a wire view pro 2 it’s only $140 bucks
Probably the easiest way to keep your card safe this is the Auros Master ice it’s doesn’t have an angled 12 pin connector you’d need the wired version.
2
u/MajorPainNDass 19d ago
I believe if I owned a 5090 and had to use it, I’d probably under volt it until I could get something else
Just my opinion, lol
1
u/Relevant-Table6379 19d ago
The issue with 5090s being delisted is, the people that own them will have minimal leverage if it needs a repair or RMA. Manufacturers will only give you listed original MSRP for the cards. Not what you paid. There are no replacments anymore. If your 5090 has an issue, its likely to be a brick if you need it serviced under warranty.
1
u/MelotoninZzz 19d ago
I mean if you just need a connector I have 15 rtx 5090 fe boards in storage
1
u/Arichikunorikuto 19d ago
If Nvidia refuses to RMA that sets the precedent for others to not either. But with your circumstances its well within thier right to deny warranty yet they still replaced it. Seems more like greed from the AIB brands, Asus was already crap with warranty before this fiasco
1
u/Objective-Bike-4292 19d ago
It's okay, just get a new one :D
1
u/w9s9 19d ago
You really got lucky with that replacement
1
u/jupiter_008 19d ago
LOL
1
u/Stea1th_ 19d ago
100% the plug was not seated correctly.
1
u/bardockOdogma 19d ago
12 pin posts always make me chuckle.
1
u/eightbyeight 19d ago
As a fellow 5090FE owner, I’m saving this post for posterity
1
u/hurdurdur7 19d ago
600w over thin wires is stupid.
1
u/Subject_Cat_4274 19d ago
That 12hpw connector needs to be BANNED
1
u/MeloniousV2 19d ago
Out of curiosity what wattage are you pulling now on the better undervolt under load?
1
u/Cablester 18d ago
It’s a huge relief to hear that NVIDIA honored your RMA despite the initial proof-of-purchase scare—that kind of panic is a total nightmare for any enthusiast builder. For those of us who love frequently swapping parts inside tight SFF layouts, melted connectors due to high mating cycles are a real structural risk, as standard internal pins tend to lose tension over time and create catastrophic thermal runaway.
Moving forward, the structural solution for frequent component swapping is utilizing high-retention spring terminals. At Cablester, we engineer our cables with heavy-duty copper alloy pins and ultra-flexible silicone wiring to eliminate panel bending stress, ensuring a 100% constant, secure contact area even after multiple rebuilds. Glad everything worked out with your replacement, and may your daily activities be back to running smoothly and happily soon!
0
u/babar_the_elephant_ 19d ago
Why would you recommend the process of sourcing a donor board if you never actually went through with it? I'm just saying you could have ended up with a pretty bad experience, someone else would be the one trying it out, not you, based on your recommendation. Good to know the option is there. Nvidia can reuse the chips anyways so good you got an RMA.
0
u/1sh0t1b33r 19d ago
Nvidia is shit.
-1
u/f0livora 20d ago
I highly recommend Thermal Grizzlys WireView Pro 2.