The Nvidia RTX 5070 is the latest Blackwell GPU to suffer a melted power cable and damaged connector
After incidents of melted power connectors with the RTX 4090, gamers hoped the Nvidia RTX 50 series would have fewer issues. Despite less catastrophic failures, the problem hasn't disappeared. Strangely, the Blackwell GPUs with lower power draws are also affected. The most recent case involves the RTX 5070, but the power cable, rather than the graphics card's connector, melted.
VideoCardz reported on the incident documented by ere9w on X. The user built a new gaming rig using a Zotac RTX 5070 GPU and a 750-watt Seasonic power supply. According to ere9w, smoke was visible a few seconds after powering on the PC. Knowing audiences might suspect user error, the poster stressed that the power cable was installed correctly. With the RTX 40 series, Nvidia blamed improperly seated cables before supporting a revised 12V-2x6 spec.
When looking for clues, ere9w discovered a damaged pin on the GPU's power connector. A single pushed-back pin could have caused the end of the power cable to melt. Given the difficulty of misaligning the two parts, some observers attribute the failure to a manufacturing defect.
One theory focuses on how Blackwell GPUs distribute current through power cables. Famous overlocker Der8auer examined an RTX 5090 with a melted power connector and cable. Using a thermal imaging camera, Der8auer found that some wires in the power cable were transmitting excess current. The graphics card can't detect how much power the pins in the 12V-2x6 connector are drawing. This shortfall results in a lack of load balancing and excess current flowing through wires.
It appears that the same deficiencies with the RTX 5090 also apply to the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070. Whether or not Nvidia is responsible, gamers investing in the pricey GPUs still have concerns.
