'Where is Nvidia? Call Nvidia, guys': Meltgate be damned, modders discover RTX 5090 can use 8-pin connectors after all
The connectors seem to run fine above spec.
Since the RTX 4090 pushed the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector to its limits, modders have been dealing with melting cables. Some have now discovered that the RTX 5090 can use standard 8-pin connectors instead. TecLab fitted three 8-pin connectors to the back of the RTX 5090 PCB, using copper plates and 24 cables. After unlocking the card to operate at higher power levels, they found that it ran cooler than the 12VHPWR connector, even at higher clock speeds.
TecLab achieved a boost clock of 3,300 MHz with just two 8-pin cables, and the GPU remained stable and cool, even at 91-92°C. While Nvidia might not want to exceed the 150W limit for 8-pin cables, the mod shows that 8-pins can provide more power to the GPU without causing melting issues.
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