The newly-released RTX 5090 graphics cards still use the 12VHPWR power connector that their 40-series predecessors became known for — and not in a good way. As was the case with the 40-series cards, the 12VHPWR connectors may be prone to overheating and melting.
The new cables were implemented starting with the NVidia 40-series graphics cards. Some RTX 5090 cards are already experiencing the melting issue that the 40-series cards did. Customers were blamed for not plugging in their connectors correctly after the first round of complaints when the 40-series cards were released.
However, it is clear based on both my experience and the experiences of other customers that the 12VHPWR is much more difficult to plug in than the older 8-pin cables, and the tedious nature of it makes it harder to ensure that it is seated properly.
The higher wattage models in the 40 and 50 series product lines (such as the 4090 and 5090) are the most prone to melting connectors because they consume more power than the other models. More power translates to more heat production.
In addition to that, the 12VHPWR cables are awfully small for the amount of power they carry. Three 8-pin cables used to be employed to carry that much power. Nonetheless, the melting issue is often caused by a gap between the connector and socket, so extra care is required when plugging it in.
