RTX 5080 joins list of Blackwell GPUs that melt power connectors

If spontaneously combusting Ryzen 7 9800X3D and GeForce RTX 5090 power connectors were not enough, we now have another entrant in the pile. This time, another unfortunate Reddit user ended up with a dead RTX 5080, a card that has nearly half the TDP of the RTX 5090.

To cut a long story short, u/Ambitious_Ladder1320 noticed something was off when the GeForce RTX 5080 started flashing a red light, which usually signifies an improperly connected cable. After reseating it and restarting the PC, it went away, but the GPU slowed to PCIe Gen3 speeds. As a result, their monitor's refresh rate/resolution dropped. Upon further inspection, the PSU end of the 12VHPWR connector was completely found to be damaged, but nowhere as close to the RTX 5090 from earlier.

This suggests a clear circuit design flaw with the RTX 50 series because Der8auer's testing revealed it could get as hot as 150-degrees Celsius and draw up to 22 Amperes of current - well above what the wire is rated for. Once again, Gamer's Nexus stepped in and offered to buy the PSU, cable and RTX 5080 graphics card for further analysis.

Only time will till if this was a user error, something at least one Reddit user thinks is the case. Either way, this is concerning for potential RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 buyers. Then again, getting one is nigh impossible, and at this point, you're better off waiting for the RX 9070 XT, and with some patience, you could even snag its 32 GB variant later this year.