Step the GPU voltage up to 48V. (anyway you make a new connector that's not compatible with existing PSUs. Why not actually fix a problem at the same time, once and for all! [48V should be enough for anybody, right?])
Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
101–110 of 526 posts
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is because they are trying to parallel like 50amps (it's 12 volt IIRC) over a few conductors to get to 600watts. If it becomes unbalanced due to any number of reasons, none of those individual cables can come close to handling it - they will all generate enough heat to melt lots of things. Conservatively, they'd have to be 8awg each to be able to handle the full load without melting if they ended up taking the f…
But you would then need to bring it down to the low voltages required by the chips and that would greatly increased cost, volume, weight, electrical noise and heat of the device.
But i'll also say - outside of heat, all of the things you listed are not safety concerns (obviously, electrical noise can be if it's truly bad enough, but let's put that one mostly aside).
Having a small, cost efficient, low weight device that has no electrical noise is still not safe if it starts fires.
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is because they are trying to parallel like 50amps (it's 12 volt IIRC) over a few conductors to get to 600watts. If it becomes unbalanced due to any number of reasons, none of those individual cables can come close to handling it - they will all generate enough heat to melt lots of things. Conservatively, they'd have to be 8awg each to be able to handle the full load without melting if they ended up taking the f…
But you would then need to bring it down to the low voltages required by the chips and that would greatly increased cost, volume, weight, electrical noise and heat of the device.
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#104This shit is so fucking dumb. Sorry for the unhinged rant, but it's ridiculous how bad every single connector involved with building a PC is in 2025. I'm just a software guy, so maybe some hardware engineer can chime in (and I'd love to find out exactly what I'm missing and why it might be harder than it seems), but why on earth can everything not just be easily accessible and click nicely into place? I'm paying mult…
What is happening in the computer space is that everyone is clinging to an old style of doing things, likely because it is free and open, and suggestions to move to new connectors get saddled with proprietary licensing fees.
D-sub power connectors have been around forever (they even look like the '90s still) and would easily be able to power even future monster GPUs. They screw in for a strong connection too, but no reason you couldn't make ones that snap in too.[1]
[1]https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/A0MAAOSwYGFUvkFg/s-l50...
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#105Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#106Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, I expect my next card with be AMD. I'm happy with my 3080 for now, but the cards have nearly double in price in two generations and I'm not going to support that. I can't abide the prices nor the insane power draw. I'm OK with not having DLSS.
It'll probably be fine for years, longer if you can stand looking at AI generated, upscaled frames. Liftup in GPU power is so expensive, we might as well be back to the reign of the 1080. The only thing that'll move the needle will be a new console generation.
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#108Step the GPU voltage up to 48V. (anyway you make a new connector that's not compatible with existing PSUs. Why not actually fix a problem at the same time, once and for all! [48V should be enough for anybody, right?])
Until the US changes their AC power connectors, we just don’t have a use case for it frankly. When the entire system is going to always top out at 1200W or so (so you have an extra few hundred watts for monitors and such), we’re pretty limited to maximum amperage.
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#109All these incidents are from aftermarket cables.
Re: Nvidia's RTX 5090 power connectors are melting
#110All these incidents are from aftermarket cables.