Modder 'fixes' melting RTX 5090 power connectors with custom distributor
Reddit user u/DallasGrave shared a fix for his RTX 5090, one of the best graphics cards, whose 12VHPWR connector was overheating, along with an image of a module screwed onto the back of his GPU.
Reddit user u/DallasGrave has developed a solution to address the overheating issue with the 12VHPWR connector of the RTX 5090 graphics card. The problem arises when the connector becomes too hot due to the high current draw through the connector, which is essentially a 12-pin connector. This issue has been a common problem for many Nvidia graphics cards, as they draw high current through a limited number of wires.
To solve this issue, u/DallasGrave created a custom-made power distributor that splits the current load across multiple wires, thereby lowering the connector temperatures. The modder, who is connected to GRAVEPC.com, a company that specializes in custom cooling solutions for small form-factor PCs, shared the fix on Reddit. He mentioned that PNY will be able to provide a PNY-specific card with a similar modification, directly from their website, and the mod will be covered under their warranty.
However, it should be noted that PNY has had issues honoring warranties for connector-related problems in the past.
The mod involves soldering additional connections to the power rails directly on the RTX 5090’s PCB and routing them to the custom-made power distributor. The distributor contains a PCB with female 8-pin connectors, which are then connected to the power rails. While it is unclear whether the modder designed the distributor himself, it is apparent that it is custom-made to fit the specific graphics card. The housing of the distributor shows signs of resin printing, indicating a high level of craftsmanship.
During stress testing, the modded card operated at full load, pulling 550W for 48 hours, with the temperature remaining below 40°C even at the joint. The 12VHPWR connector's design is considered poor, as cramming that much power into only six wires creates a sensitive system where slight misalignment and uneven current distribution can lead to connector-melting temperatures.
While this mod is more attractive and cleaner than previous power mods, it is still invasive, requiring wires to be soldered directly to the card’s power rails.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
