Custom cable from cable specialist CableMod melts on the GeForce RTX 4090 from Nvidia.
After it was discovered that Nvidia-supplied 16-pin 12VHPWR adapters could melt if mismatched with the GPU, several manufacturers created their proprietary 12VHPWR adapters that are more dependable. According to a Reddit post, at least one of these adapters failed and melted when used with a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card. CableMod, the device’s producer, agreed to replace the product.
A Reddit user identified as Humble-Brilliant-654 shared a photo of his melted 12VHPWR cable adaptor. According to him, he correctly placed the adapter until he heard the click, and the device worked flawlessly for two months. According to some other Redditors, the failure was caused by improper cable insertion. Some of the marks on the cable’s connector appear to indicate that it was properly inserted in, but it could have become dislodged after installation.
Meanwhile, CableMod stated that the item would be replaced regardless. “Very sorry about that – please contact our support and we will make things right,” reads a CableMod statement. Our products include service, and we assist every consumer.
Nvidia determined, after reviewing approximately 50 occurrences of overheated and melted 16-pin 12VHPWR cable adapters, that the connections were not fully inserted into the graphics card. The manufacturer advised connecting the dongles before inserting the graphics card into the motherboard.
Connecting power connectors correctly is crucial since nearly all cables can overheat if improperly connected. The graphics card on Nvidia’s $1,599 flagship product may demand up to 450W of power from the PSU, and transferring such a large quantity of power requires high-quality connectors and strong connectivity.
For the time being, we must wait to see if CableMods provides details on the faulty connector. Thankfully, there haven’t been many complaints of failing Nvidia connectors recently; we’d want this trend to continue.
