Nvidia RTX 5090 Founders Edition teardown reveals fragile modular design that repair experts call “a disaster”

A flagship GPU with fragile foundations

Nvidia’s flagship RTX 5090 Founders Edition has received knocks from the repair specialist over at Northridge Fix. The outfit, which runs a popular electronics repair shop and YouTube channel, filmed their teardown of a faulty unit and has strong words for the internal design.

The repair technician diagnosed two RTX 5090 graphics cards received from a customer following custom water-block installations. One of the cards, an ASUS model, was successfully revived after reinstalling the stock cooler. The other card, however, a Founders Edition, became a nightmare.

A teardown revealed that Nvidia chose to split the card into multiple interconnected boards rather than use a single printed circuit board (PCB). The GPU is linked to the PCIe connector through a thin, flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector.

According to the technician, the problem is that the FPC connector is very fragile. A small misalignment or excessive flex during disassembly could spell disaster for the microscopic pins, causing them to bend or break. Upon damage, the GPU won’t output any signal even if the voltage rails and other circuits show nominal readings.

Microscopic inspection reveals serious flaws

Using a high-powered microscope, the repairer discovered that one pin on the FPC connector was bent. Another pin had broken completely, and he suspected this had happened during the water block installation.

The technician was unable to source a replacement connector, and he had to declare the card irreparable.

Over-engineering adds unnecessary complexity

The delicate connector aside, Northridge Fix also found issues with the card’s over-the-top internal design. Tearing down the Founder’s Edition 5090 required the technician to deal with many screws, brackets, and small components, meaning navigating multiple failure points.

Other highlighted potential problems include the card’s heavy weight, making it awkward to service. The expert remarked, "The 5090 is a very heavy card, and when you start adding fragile joints between major components, you're just asking for trouble."

Caution to modders and custom loop builders

Northridge Fix advised enthusiasts to avoid water-cooling or modifying the RTX 5090 Founders Edition. The fact that there are no replacement connectors means a slight mistake could render the GPU a brick.

You can watch the whole episode in the YouTube video linked below.