RTX 5090 Power Connector Reportedly Burns And Chars After 9 Months Of Use, Raising Fresh 12V 2x6 Safety Concerns
A new community report is making the rounds after an RTX 5090 owner shared photos of a severely burnt power connection that appears far beyond the typical partial melt cases enthusiasts have seen around modern high wattage GPU cabling. In this instance, the connector is described as fully charred, with visible damage not only to the cable side but also to the graphics card side connector area, suggesting an extreme heat event rather than minor deformation.
The incident was shared by Reddit user u nmp14fayl in a PCMR Reddit post, stating the RTX 5090 had been used for nearly 9 months before the failure occurred on December 24, 2025. The photos show a connector that looks heavily carbonized and a section of the cable that appears burned for several inches. The user also noted what look like burn marks on nearby AIO tubing, which is the kind of collateral damage that shifts this from an inconvenience into a genuine safety discussion for any high power PC build.
One of the more important context points here is the claimed configuration. The user said they were running an ATX 3.1 compliant PSU, specifically a PowerSpec 1050 GFM, and used a native 12V 2x6 cable that came with the power supply. That matters because it reduces the usual suspicion around third party adapters and questionable extensions, and it puts more emphasis on real world connector seating, contact quality, tolerance stack up, and long term thermal behavior under load. From the shared photos, there does not appear to be an obvious sharp bend right at the connector, but it is not fully clear whether the images were taken after removal or whether the GPU was mounted in a vertical orientation when the event occurred.
From a practical gamer and builder standpoint, the biggest red flag is not that a connector melted slightly, it is the suggestion of an open flame level event under what the owner considers normal operation. Consumer PC power delivery is designed around certified operating envelopes, and any scenario that creates visible charring and nearby scorch marks deserves serious attention from both the retailer and the vendors involved.
The owner says they are planning to take the system back to Micro Center, where the PC was purchased, to start the support process. They also stated that other components appear unaffected, including the PSU, which may help narrow the investigation toward the GPU side connector interface, the cable end, or the contact integrity between the two.
If you are running a high end GPU with 12V 2x6, this story is a timely reminder to treat connector seating and cable management as mission critical, not cosmetic. Fully insert the plug until it is flush, avoid tension pulling the connector at an angle, and periodically check for discoloration or unusual odor after heavy gaming sessions. This is not fearmongering, it is basic risk management for parts that can draw extremely high transient power.
If you are running 12V 2x6 today, do you regularly re check connector seating and cable strain after moving your PC or upgrading parts, or do you set it once and forget it?
