Sapphire RX 9070 XT Nitro Plus Faces Fresh 16 Pin Power Connector Burn Reports as 2 Users Detail Failures and 1 RMA Dispute
New community reports are once again putting Sapphire’s Radeon RX 9070 XT Nitro Plus under a harsh spotlight, specifically around 16 pin power connector failures and the downstream customer support experience that follows. Over the past few weeks, the Nitro Plus variant has repeatedly been named in user posts about melted or burnt 16 pin connectors, and 2 new accounts are adding more detail to what some owners describe as a recurring, unresolved pattern.
In the first case, Reddit user ProfessionalHost3913 says they are pursuing a second RMA in roughly 2 months. The user reports the first card suffered a burnt connector issue, and they also note they paid shipping and insurance for the return while praising Sapphire for a quick replacement turnaround. However, the replacement unit allegedly arrived with visible scratches that made it appear used or refurbished. The user continued testing the card anyway, but says performance was significantly below expectations, citing a drop in 3DMark Time Spy results from roughly 26,000 points on the original card to around 19,000 points on the replacement. Based on that difference, they say they are now seeking another RMA due to the performance gap and the condition concerns.
In the second report, Reddit user WozzerBo describes another familiar connector burn scenario on the Sapphire RX 9070 XT Nitro Plus, with photos showing what they claim is a classic top row burn pattern on the 16 pin connector. The user also mentions high VRAM temperatures as an earlier concern that triggered an RMA request. They allege that the card was returned to them as the same unit without repair, and they claim a screw marked with red paint appeared tampered with after the return. After the connector burn incident, the user says Sapphire refused to replace the card, attributing the denial to alleged user tampering. The user characterizes this as an unfair handling of the complaint, stating they escalated the case and the company sided with its internal conclusion.
From an industry perspective, these reports land at the worst possible time for consumer trust. When a high end GPU shows repeated connector related failures in public posts, the narrative quickly shifts from isolated incidents to perceived risk concentration around a specific model. That perception becomes even more damaging if the post purchase experience includes disputes over RMA eligibility, because buyers stop thinking purely in terms of performance and start evaluating operational risk, including how much protection they truly have if something goes wrong.
It is important to keep the framing grounded. These are user reported accounts, not a confirmed root cause analysis, and online reports do not provide full visibility into installation conditions, cabling, PSU compatibility, connector seating, or handling history. Still, the frequency of similar anecdotes around the same Nitro Plus model is enough to raise a practical question for prospective buyers and a reputational question for Sapphire: if the product is repeatedly associated with the same failure mode, what proactive actions are being taken to reduce recurrence and clarify warranty handling standards.
If you own an RX 9070 XT Nitro Plus, have you seen any warning signs like abnormal connector heat, discoloration, instability, or unexpectedly high VRAM temperatures, and do you feel confident in the RMA process if you ever need it?
