User Reports Second Melt of 16-Pin Connector on MSI RTX 5090
A Reddit user has reported experiencing a melted 16-pin power connector on their MSI GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card for the second time. The occurrence raises red flags once more about the design and implementation of this high-power connector--particularly when used with certain adapters.
Details of the Repeated GPU Failure
The user, identified as u/Deja_, posted in the r/pcmasterrace subreddit about the failure of their MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming Trio. After having the first connector melt in July, the user had received a replacement card through the RMA process in August. However, the connector on the replacement GPU melted less than two months later.
The system was powered by a Corsair SF1000, which is an ATX 3.1-compliant unit. As per the report, the user did not use the native 16-pin power cable from the PSU but instead used the 4x8-pin to 16-pin adapter supplied by MSI along with the graphics card.
Potential Cause Linked to Power Adapter
The use of the MSI-provided "yellow tip" adapter is also at the center of discussions. These 4x8-pin to 16-pin adapters were flagged for possible issues with an unbalance load. Even in a secure connection where the yellow tip indicator is fully seated, the adapter may still not provide proper current distribution across all pins which could eventually lead to overheating and melting.
While the user states that they confirmed a proper connection, the ensuing failures seem to suggest a possible design failure on the part of the adapter. Others from the community also speculate that the power supply unit (PSU) may play a role, since usually, such failures result from a combination of these issues.
Now, this case joins many similar ones that have been reported by users, indicating just how sensitive the 16-pin power connector standard is for high-end graphics cards.
