Nvidia’s Melting Power Cable Nightmare Returns—Are RTX 5090 Users in Trouble?

If you thought Nvidia had left behind the power cable-melting debacle of the RTX 4090, think again. Reports are surfacing from early adopters of the RTX 5090, claiming that their power cables are once again meeting a fiery fate. While it’s far from a widespread issue, and we’re nowhere near “flaming GPUs” trending on social media (yet), the early warning signs are enough to make PC gamers everywhere sweat.

So, what’s going on this time? Is it another user error situation like before, or is there something inherently flawed with Nvidia’s power delivery system?

The RTX 5090 Melting Power Cable Drama

It all started with a few isolated reports—one on YouTube and another on Reddit, where users claimed that their RTX 5090 power cables were overheating and even melting. Sound familiar? That’s because we’ve been here before.

Back when the RTX 4090 launched, similar reports flooded the internet, with users sharing horror stories of burnt connectors and even minor electrical fires. Nvidia eventually blamed the problem on improperly seated connectors, essentially suggesting that users weren’t plugging their cables in all the way. The PCI-SIG standards body backed this up, insisting that the 12VHPWR connector design was solid but acknowledging that some manufacturers’ implementations could be faulty.

In response, Nvidia rolled out a new power standard for the RTX 50-series—12V-2×6, a supposed improvement that ensures power won’t flow unless the connector is fully seated. But now, just weeks into the RTX 5090 era, we’re already hearing about melted cables again.

What’s Causing the RTX 5090 Power Issues?

Before panic sets in, let’s look at some key details from the reported cases:

• Both reported incidents involved third-party cables.
  • One from MODDIY, a well-known custom PC part manufacturer.
  • Another was from an FSP power supply, which didn’t use Nvidia’s official adapter.
• The Nvidia-supplied 8-pin adapter does not appear to be affected (yet).
• No widespread cases have been confirmed.

At this point, it’s too early to say whether this is an actual design flaw or just poor-quality third-party cables causing issues. Nvidia’s own adapters might be safer, but considering how the RTX 4090 situation unfolded, users are understandably nervous.

Why Does Nvidia Keep Using These Power Connectors?

Here’s the big question: If AMD and Intel GPUs don’t have these problems, why is Nvidia the only one melting power cables?

The 12VHPWR and 12V-2×6 connectors were supposed to simplify power delivery by replacing the bulky, multi-cable setup of older GPUs with a single high-capacity connector. This makes GPU designs more compact and helps with cable management, which sounds great—until things start catching fire.

For whatever reason, AMD and Intel have stuck with traditional 8-pin power connectors. Even some of Nvidia’s own GPU partners have opted for 8-pin setups on their lower-end cards like the RTX 4060 and 4070. Could it be that Nvidia’s power delivery system just isn’t as foolproof as they think?

Should RTX 5090 Owners Be Worried?

At this stage, it’s unclear whether this is an actual widespread problem or just an overreaction to a couple of isolated cases. Here’s what we know:

• The issue seems to be limited to third-party cables for now.
• Nvidia hasn’t officially responded yet.
• No major recall or advisory has been issued.

If you’re an RTX 5090 owner, stick to Nvidia’s official adapters and cables for now. While it’s possible the new 12V-2×6 standard is more reliable than its predecessor, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen power-related drama from Nvidia—so being cautious is a smart move.

The RTX 5090 is a power-hungry beast, and it looks like we might be in for another round of GPU cable anxiety. While we’re still in the early days of this potential issue, Nvidia’s history with melting connectors and user-blaming explanations means PC gamers are watching closely.

Will this blow over as an isolated problem, or are we weeks away from another wave of RMA nightmares? Time will tell. For now, keep those cables seated properly, and maybe don’t push your GPU to the absolute limit just yet.