A PNY GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card has suffered a melted 16 pin power connector while running a basic indie title. The hardware failure occurred during a session of Crypt of the NecroDancer, a game that requires only 512MB of video memory. The breakdown proves that current 16 pin connector issues can strike even when the hardware draws a tiny fraction of its 600W power limit.
Reddit user u/UnpluggedUnfettered published photos showing the upper row of plastic pins on the power header completely melted and fused together. The owner reported smelling burnt material in the middle of gameplay before shutting down the desktop and discovering the scorched terminal. Unlike previous high profile failures tied to heavy benchmarks or demanding ray tracing titles, this failure happened under virtually zero electrical strain.
I was playing Crypt of the NecroDancer to let my computer cool off after an hour of intense Shattered Pixel Dungeon (I stupidly had the graphics set to ultra) when I noticed the smell. Godspeed my little 5090, I never should have pushed you so hard.
by u/UnpluggedUnfettered in pcmasterrace
The 16 pin standard has developed a poor track record across multiple graphics card brands. Poor contact, slight pin angling, or loose cable seating can cause rapid heat accumulation. This recent breakdown highlights that high continuous power is not always required to trigger high contact resistance and melting plastic.
When the owner contacted PNY for warranty coverage, the company reportedly refused to honor the repair request. The user shared the outcome on Reddit to warn other builders:
PNY basically replied that this is not their problem, claiming the power cable is not part of the graphics card and that I broke it myself.
System builder DigitalStorm offered to step in and help coordinate replacement options for the customer. However, rather than risking damage by shipping a desktop worth thousands of dollars back to the builder, the owner chose to take the graphics card to a local repair technician. The estimated fix will cost $180 to solder a fresh power header onto the board, leaving the buyer to absorb the repair bill for an acknowledged hardware vulnerability.
