PC gamer vibe-codes a safeguard against RTX 5090 power connector failures — monitors per-pin power draw, shuts down system if it exceeds 9.5A for more than 15 seconds
The 35MB application forcibly shuts the machine down if power exceeds configurable limits for too long.
A Reddit user has developed a free tool called "12VHPWR Guard" to protect high-end NVIDIA graphics cards from potential power connector failures. Despite the tool's name, it does not support 12VHPWR connectors, as none of the cards it supports have them. The tool targets the ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090, both featuring the updated 12V-2x6 connector.
The graphics cards' dedicated per-pin current sensors prompted the developer to create the tool, as ASUS' software warnings may not always be reliable, particularly when the user is in-game or away from their computer. The tool monitors the current draw on each of the six +12V pins on the power connector and shuts down the entire system if the average current exceeds 9.5A over a 15-second period.
Users can adjust the current threshold and time duration as needed. The app also provides additional features like HWIIO-based shared memory monitoring, toast notifications, and Windows Event Viewer logging. The tool is compatible with Windows 10 and 11 and requires Python 3.10 or higher. While the tool is a valuable addition for those owning the supported graphics cards, it is not a substitute for ensuring proper installation of the 12V-2x6 connector.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
