The victim reported using an ATX 3.1-compliant power supply—the PowerSpec 1050 GFM—alongside its native 12V-2×6 cable. Notably, no third-party adapters were involved, bypassing the components often criticized for the technical failures seen in previous-generation hardware like the RTX 4090.
A flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 owner recently documented a catastrophic hardware failure. The 16-pin (12V-2×6) power interface didn’t just succumb to heat; it was completely incinerated, with the user reporting that the connector actually erupted into open flames. This stands as one of the most extreme instances of power-related damage recorded for the RTX 50 series.
Reddit user nmp14fayl shared that their RTX 5090 had been functioning for nearly nine months before the sudden failure occurred on Christmas Eve, December 24th.
Visual evidence confirms that the GPU-side port was ravaged by heat, leaving it charred and carbonized, while several centimeters of the cable itself were destroyed by the blaze. Additionally, the tubes of the nearby liquid cooling (AIO) system show distinct scorch marks from the heat intensity.
The provided photos do not indicate any severe cable tension or sharp bends near the point of contact, though it remains unclear if the graphics card was being used in a vertical mounting configuration.
While thermal issues and melting connectors have occasionally plagued NVIDIA’s high-performance GPUs, incidents involving active combustion and such comprehensive physical destruction are remarkably rare.
Source: iXBT.games