The saga of melting graphics card power connectors continues to rumble on. A number of innovative fixes and preventative measures have been devised to stop the problem from reoccurring, but not all of them have been successful. Now it seems that the specialised MSI 12V-2×6 cables with the distinctive yellow tips are not proof against the scourge of scorched power cables.
The entire melting power connector problem was originally reported with the Nvidia RTX 40 series of graphics cards. At the time, blame was placed on the new 12VHPWR connector, and users not properly seating the cables into the socket. This would cause an electrical arcing effect that would overheat and damage the connector. Initially, this only seemed to affect Nvidia flagship cards like the RTX 4090 or RTX 5090, but soon reports came in of damaged connectors on RTX 5080 cards, too.
Several manufacturers and hobbyists offered solutions to the issue. One of the simplest was MSI’s solution, which was to mould the plastic frame for the connector pins in a bright yellow plastic. If the cable is properly seated, the yellow tip cannot be seen, providing a simple visual indicator that the cable was connected correctly.
Unfortunately, it seems this measure was not enough. Two users on Reddit have now reported cases of melted yellow-tipped MSI power cables for their RTX 5090 graphics cards. It should be noted that this MSI cable wasn’t even the original problematic 12VHPWR cable, but instead the newer 12V-2×6 cable.
One user reported on the MSI Gaming subreddit that their PC began showing signs of instability, with black screens on reboot. An investigation revealed a burned and partially melted connector. Another user on the PCMasterRace subreddit reported a very similar problem and further said that this was their second RTX 5090. The original was replaced after experiencing a similar failure.
Though both users have reported success in requesting RMA, it is still a concern that this issue keeps reoccurring without a permanent and reliable fix.
