Nvidia’s lovely GeForce RTX 4090 wowed reviewers and region a novel bar for excellent how stupidly snappily a graphics card would possibly be. Unfortunately, the starting up of the $1,600 GPU has been marred by a number of reviews of melting 12VHPWR connectors conventional within the playing cards detrimental every the connector and the GPUs at events.
The novel 12VHPWR connector is a compact power connector that mixes the functionality of a number of older 6- and eight-pin connectors into one little trot. It used to be first and main adopted with the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Founders Edition and is now conventional within the GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition as successfully as personalized variations of the RTX 4090 constructed by the likes of Asus, MSI, et cetera. The 12VHPWR connector will additionally be conventional within the impending GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition, slated to release on November 16.
As of Nov. 7, now not decrease than 23 reviews of melted connectors possess surfaced within the Nvidia subreddit with another 5 unconfirmed circumstances.
Change: As of Nov. 8, GPU maker Gainward now says it’s a long way now not delaying shipments of GeForce RTX 4090 whereas it waits for alternative 12VHPWR adapter cables. As an more than a few, Gainward mentioned the cables it makes exercise of had been inspected by Nvidia and learned to offer now not possess any issues and all transport and gross sales are persevering with as traditional. Possibilities, it mentioned, would possibly per chance possibly possess to peaceable elevate away.
With this snappily-inviting, confusing, and additionally very severe misfortune, PCWorld has decided to round up the info you possess to know to abet separate truth from fiction. Nvidia officials possess declined to divulge whereas it investigates, however the most novel trend appear to level to imperfect 12VHPWR adapter cables. There’s additionally the chance that now not fully inserting the cable would possibly per chance well region off elevated resistance and sufficient warmth to soften the connectors. We’ll exchange this story as novel info is launched.
Sept. 10 Hassan Mujtaba of WCCFTech reviews of an alert issued from PCI-SIG to participants of a “thermal variance, which would possibly per chance well pause in issues of security below obvious security situations.” The member alert advises vendors to “work closely with their connector vendors and exercise due diligence in using high-power connections”Sept. 14 The chunky electronic mail and extra vital parts from the PCI-SIG are reported by Stephen Burke of Players Nexus and notes that “screw ups had been seen in obvious cable routing situations from PSUs and take a look at boards that generate aspect load on the interface.” Burke mentioned the document–interestingly created by Nvidia–from PCI-SIG confirmed three moderately a few manufacturers had been tested with 10 sample assemblies with screw ups manifesting from 10 hours to 30 hours with melting. It’s price declaring that the internal document appears to be like to consult the connection on the PSU aspect—now not the GPU aspect. On the total, on the opposite hand, ATX 3.0 power provides PCWorld possess seen masks the cables to be identical on every ends.Brad Chacos/IDG
Sept. 22 VideoCardz’s editor WhyCry reviews that GPU maker Zotac’s steering on the novel 12VHPWR connector is rated for 30-insertion cycles which raises alarms as to the lifespan and durability of the novel connector. VideoCardz later amends its document to articulate that whereas 30 cycles appears to be like to be very low, many Molex connectors offered over the final 20 years possess had the same mating cycles.Oct. 24 The principle document of a melted 12HPWR connector is posted on the Nvidia sub-reddit. The GPU appears to be like to be to be a Gigabyte 4090 Gaming OC using an Nvidia-branded 12VHPWR adapter cable. Each Nvidia and Gigabyte reach out to the owner who reviews a alternative card has been got. A second document of a melted dongle is got as successfully on that day with injury to the adapter cable and an Asus RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OC Edition occurring. The Reddit submit without extend goes viral on the high-profile graphics card with many assuming the novel connector to be at fault.Oct. 24 Just a few hours after the initial melting document on Reddit, renowned power provide reviewer and the precept at the abet of PSU certification company Cybenetics, Aristeidis Bitziopoulos, attempts to replicate the melting 12VHPWR connector by subjecting it to 600 watt loads for extra than 90 minutes. He is unable to injury the cable whereas seeing simplest a little thermal variance. It can possibly possibly possess to peaceable be famed that the take a look at conventional a native 12VHPWR cable on an ATX 3.0 power provide in preference to Nvidia’s adapter. Bitziopoulos concludes the 12VHPWR connector doesn’t appear to be a say in his checking out.Oct. 24 Overclocker Buildzoid of Undoubtedly Hardware Overclocking, posts a video criticizing the novel 12VHPWR connector noting that the novel connector vastly reduces the number of pins and wires carrying power.
Oct. 25. With screw ups now reported at three, Nvidia officials repeat the Verge’s Tom Warren that “we’re investigating the reviews” and are in contact with the owners of the impacted playing cards. Oct. 25 Earlier HardOCP editor Kyle Bennett reviews AMD’s upcoming RDNA3 GPUs is now not going to exercise the 12VHWPR connector in its reference designs. Neither Bennett, nor his sources at AMD masks when the create resolution used to be made to skip 12VHPWR.Oct. 25 Showing what a distraction the 12VHPWR has become, AMD’s Scott Herkelman publicly confirms the novel Radeon playing cards will skip 12VHPWR and receives responses akin to “That is a HUGE aid, elated with that info.”Oct. 26 The official Reddit megathread itemizing exhibiting documented screw ups now numbers 5 damaged 12VHWPR connectors.Oct. 26 Jason Langiven, aka JayzTwoCents, who has long been severe of the connector being “unsafe,” attempts to replicate the failure on a native 12VHWPR cable and is unable to induce a failure on the cable below heavy loads.Nvidia’s 12VHPWR adapter wishes to join to three or four 8-pin power cables.
Brad Chacos/IDG
Oct. 27 Igor Wallossek of IgorsLab.de conducts a high-tail down and failure take a look at of a 12VHPWR power adapter and concludes that the say doesn’t appear to be the 12VHPWR create itself nor the mighty-touted insertion cycle topic raised previously. As an more than a few, Wallossek concludes it’s a long way the create of Nvidia’s adapter itself, which he describes as “immoral quality (and) can lead to screw ups and has already introduced on injury in single circumstances.” Wallossek mentioned he believes bending and kinking of the adapter can region off conventional solder joints and bridges to interrupt and amplify the resistance causing the melting.Oct. 28 Ronaldo Buassali of TecLab.receive.br posts his have failure assessments, including swinging a power provide using excellent the connector and subjecting to a stress take a look at of 1,532—successfully past its rated sustained wattage of 600 watts.Oct. 29 The number of confirmed damaged connectors on Reddit now numbers 15.
Oct. 30 Stephen Burke of Players Nexus attempts to replicate the melting failure by deliberately detrimental a 12VHPWR adapter akin to what IgorsLab.de had reported and subjected it to a 99 percent load for 8 hours with no melting seen. Burke additionally notes that his 5 adapters all appear to be constructed the identical—and but in a different way than the adapter IgorsLab had. Burke mentioned his 5 12VHWPR adapters exercise wires labeled for 300 volts versus the 150 volts the adapter Wallossek had. Burke concludes that we excellent don’t know what the say is, but it with out a doubt is a exact misfortune on some adapters—but now not all of them. He additionally mentions a belief being floated that the smaller connector would possibly per chance well now not easily seat as successfully as the greater frail power connectors. He additionally parts out that contrary to what many shoppers imagine, a native connector that plugs without extend staunch into a power provide would possibly per chance well additionally fail the identical manner if the native cable is constructed the identical as the failed adapters. Burke additionally asks owners of RTX 4090 playing cards to document which cable adapters they’ve.
Excellent preserving each person updated: Out of about 130 emails to this level to the 4090cable inbox, now we possess 7 which would possibly be 150V rated wires (and subsequently potentially indicative of moderately a few provide), so 5%. That rating would not straight imply or now not it’s imperfect. Replying to a few for info
— GamersNexus (@GamersNexus) October 31, 2022Oct. 30 With info that there appear to be moderately a few 12VHPWR adapters being offered, Stephen Burke of Gamer’s Nexus reviews by capability of Twitter that of the 130 emails he has got, 7 percent of owners document they’ve the 150V cabling that used to be conventional in IgorsLab’s adapter cable. Burke notes that whereas the cable marking would possibly per chance well recount 150V, that simplest manner it makes exercise of the identical obvious spec cables—and would not masks they are would possibly per chance well need the low-quality solder joints that IgorsLab learned. Burke additionally notes that of the 130, “now not many are burned.”Oct. 30 Andreas Schilling of Hardwareluxx.de conducts his have ballotof discussion board participants who possess bought RTX 4090 playing cards. He reviews that 12 possess a 4-pins-to-12VHPWR adapter marked “300V.” One has a 3-pins-to-12VHPWR marked “150V,” and two folk possess 4-pins-to-12VHPWR marked “150V.”
Nov. 1 Ronaldo Buassali of TecLab.receive.br posts a longer video of checking out from the fashioned reside circulation with additional explanations of how he tested the 12VHWPR. Unlike most of the checking out to this level, which conventional proper GeForce RTX 4090 playing cards, Buassali physically removes the 12VHWPR connector from the GPU and wires it up for stress checking out. This lets Buassali push the connector assembly successfully past the 600 watts known as for, including loads of 900 watts, 1,200 watts and 1,500 watts. Buassali’s conslusion? The 12VHPWR connector itself is “successfully sized, so mighty so that it supported mighty extra than its specification.” Nonetheless, Buassali concludes that even though the connector can address extra than it’s rated for, a poorly inserted connector that creates resistance would possibly per chance well certainly be at the abet of the melting of the connector. Buassali additionally doesn’t rule a batch of imperfect cables, but that suggests a producing say, now not a create misfortune.Nov. 2 Jon Gerow, director of R&D at Corsair and formerly of Jonnyguru.com, posts outcomes from deliberately damaged 12VHPWR cable adapters below load and is unable to induce melting as successfully. Gerow used to be ready to offer a number of 12VHPWR adapter cables for detrimental checking out, and despite breaking off solder joints, he used to be unable to induce melting or a failure. He did masks that some of the adapters weren’t constructed very successfully but even the worst of the batch passed stress checking out with out failing. Gerow concludes that some of the issues would possibly per chance well need occurred when the owners didn’t fully seat the 12VHPWR adapter cables and additionally posts pictures of installed PCs the build even a little gap of 1 mm would possibly per chance well pause in elevated resistance.Nov. 3 AMD formally pronounces its RDNA3-primarily based fully Radeon 7900XT and Radeon 7900XTX and proudly notes that it did now not exercise 12VHPWR connections. Nonetheless, the corporate parts out that the final perception that it modified its designs simplest after the melting issues cropped up a few weeks ago is now not suitable. AMD made the resolution to stay to primitive 8-pin power connectors extra than a yr ago.Nov. 4 A novel submit within the Nvidia subreddit, taken from a Facebook submit of a Hong Kong-primarily based fully RTX 4090 owner, is the predominant reported damaged 12VHPWR cable from a native cable plugged without extend staunch into a power provide. Earlier to this document, all of the reported issues had simplest occurred in 12VHPWR adapter cables, now not native cables. The next day, another particular person reviews a melted connector using a native 12VHPWR cable from an ATX 3.0 power provide. This appears to be like to be to toddle hopes that a native trot would medication the misfortune.Nov 7 The number of confirmed failed connectors now numbers 23 on the Reddit megathread, with issues unfold among many graphics card makers. Oddly, there don’t appear to be any Nvidia Founders Edition playing cards listed with screw ups. There are additionally 5 unconfirmed circumstances listed from moderately a few board makers as successfully.Nov. 7 VideoCardz editor WhyCry reviews that a particular person on Reddit has been told his or her Gainward GeForce RTX 4090 would possibly be delayed unless the center of November as it waits for alternative 12VHPWR adapter cables. The electronic mail, despatched from Australian PC company Techfast to a customer, mentioned “Whereas investigations are peaceable persevering with and Nvidia has now not launched a public assertion, Gainward has told us that cables shipped with their playing cards will (are) being replaced. As a end result, they are conserving transport of all playing cards unless this has taken build. We additionally realize this cable alternative is maybe now not restricted to Gainward by myself.” PCWorld reached out to Techfast who confirmed the authenticity of the electronic mail.Nov. 8 Regardless of Australian PC builder Techfast confirming an electronic mail despatched to prospects asserting some RTX 4090 playing cards would possibly be delayed whereas Gainward ships alternative cables and implying moderately a few GPU makers would wreck the identical, Gainward’s EU Facebook page says that’s now not the case and has issued a clarification. “There is incorrect info suggesting Gainward is delaying the RTX 4090 cargo to interchange the cables lately. Right here we would cherish to account for that–Gainward is now not conserving any RTX 40 cargo to interchange the cables, and has no belief to wreck so. The cables Gainward at show conventional on the RTX 40 had been inspected by NVIDIA group and learned no issues. All Gainward cargo is being made as customary. Please don’t hesitate to dangle the Gainward graphics playing cards within the occasion you intend to receive one!”
Creator: Gordon Mah Ung, Executive Editor
One of founding fathers of hardcore tech reporting, Gordon has been retaining PCs and parts since 1998.
