Overview

• A Reddit user reported a melted MSI yellow-tipped 12V-2x6 connector while powering an RTX 5090, marking the second such incident in recent months.
• The RTX 5090’s near-600W power draw can cause cable temperatures to exceed 150°C, leading to connector melting despite safety measures.
• MSI’s yellow-tipped connectors, designed to ensure proper seating, have failed to prevent overheating, raising concerns about inherent design flaws.
• At least six confirmed and one unconfirmed cases of connector melting have been reported for RTX 50-series GPUs, with the GPUs themselves typically undamaged.
• Experts highlight NVIDIA’s removal of per-pin current monitoring in RTX 40 and 50 series GPUs as a potential factor contributing to uneven power distribution and overheating.