Be mindful the RTX 4090 cable-melting fiasco? Long ago in November 2022, following the release of Nvidia’s mighty new flagship RTX 4090 graphics card, there have been scattered experiences of the GPU’s persistent connector overheating and melting, successfully rendering the $1,599 (£1,519/AU$2,959) element unusable. Now, nearly a and a part later, it looks as if the issue continues to be inflicting complications for PC players.
California-based tech restore store Northridge Repair reported on its YouTube channel that the cable disaster is a ways from over, with the restore staff nonetheless receiving as many as 200 broken RTX 4090 playing cards each month. On-line outrage about the issue seems to have died down considerably, without a obvious headway made by way of the small collection of complaints introduced in opposition to Nvidia within the aftermath of the release.
For the uninitiated, the entire factor stems from a selected 16-pin persistent connector same old named 12VHPWR, which used to be presented with the RTX 4090 and required a bundled adapter for older ATX persistent provides. A small design flaw led to some connectors to overheat when the connector used to be improperly inserted, ensuing within the plastic housing melting. Even supposing Nvidia launched a remark addressing the disaster, it necessarily simply agreed to honor any warranties.
We reported in October 2023 that RTX 4090 gadgets have been nonetheless failing, regardless of more than a few makes an attempt from 3rd events to unravel the problem. Some enterprising {hardware} heads urged power-limiting your GPU, whilst cable producer CableMod in brief introduced a right-angled adapter designed to cut back pressure at the 16-pin connector, just for this artful repair to be impulsively recalled because of a possibility of (you guessed it) overheating and melting problems destructive much more GPUs.
Is there an lead to sight?
It’s undeniably a nasty search for Nvidia, even though we nonetheless don’t have any concrete statistics on what number of RTX 4090s ended up at the restore bench (or in landfill). There have been experiences that the GPU offered 160,000 gadgets in its first week, and a few research from our colleagues over at Tom’s {Hardware} previous this suggests anyplace between one and 3 million general gadgets shifted – in different phrases, the failure price does appear low.
However for one {hardware} store to be receiving 200 busted playing cards a month continues to be a not-insignificant quantity, and it happens to me that Nvidia is terribly fortunate that no person’s space has burned down on account of an overheating 4090.
Then again, we would possibly now be on the tail finish of this entire mess. Past due final , YouTube channel {Hardware} Busters were given a behind-the-scenes take a look at a brand new 12V-2×6 persistent connector, which is designed to exchange the 12VHPWR connector with awesome persistent supply and with out a possibility of catastrophic failure. Asus additionally published a brand new connector referred to as GC-HPWR, which has already been applied on some Asus GPUs.
Nonetheless, it’s a irritating finish to a story as outdated as time: corporate makes a mistake, shoppers endure, and there are little to no penalties. It’s little marvel that Nvidia may well be getting out of the patron GPU marketplace.
We’ve got reached out to Nvidia for remark, and we’re going to replace this text must any new reliable remark be launched.
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