For the past few days, the Internet has been wondering why the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and partner graphics cards can melt cables and connectors. Various assumptions were made; for instance, one theory pointed to the graphics card’s high power consumption and improper installation that impaired the cooling system's performance.
A user under the nickname denis-19 pointed out that the creator of the YouTube channel igorsLAB took a thorough approach to identifying the culprit behind the numerous GeForce RTX 4090 incidents. As it turned out, the connectors are melting due to a poor-quality adapter.
During the examination, it was determined that this is a “fire-hazardous” design. The pins are not properly soldered. Due to soldering issues, the cable connection is unreliable, resulting in increased resistance and causing this area to heat up.
Additionally, the wire breaks easily. Replugging the connector can disrupt pin contact, which subsequently leads to connector melting and damage to the graphics card.
Furthermore, teardown revealed thin foil connecting the pins. It may not withstand the load that occurs, for example, if the outer wires are damaged.
It turns out that NVIDIA bears responsibility for the graphics card incidents.