A 12V-2×6 connector has melted on a GeForce RTX 5090 test bench that was undergoing heavy load testing, with temperatures reaching 175°C.
TL;DR: An ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 setup on Hardware Unboxed showed the 12V-2×6 power connector melting under heavy load (cable reached 175°C). Thermal imaging and WireView Pro found one wire carrying ~22A while others carried almost no current; faults concentrate at the PSU end and persist across many RTX 50-series systems.
The RTX 5090’s infamous 12V-2×6 power connector has struck again – this time on Hardware Unboxed’s test bench, where a cable hit a scorching 175°C under load.
The incident involved an ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 paired with a Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 PSU. Host Steve discovered the problem after touching the cable and feeling a burn, which thermal imaging later confirmed. A Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro revealed an extreme current imbalance: one wire pulling 22A while others carried almost none. The damage was worse at the PSU end, and Steve noticed after using pliers to pull the cable out that the wires that weren’t carrying any current were completely melted at the PSU end.
Steve added that the cable was perfectly seated in the power supply beforehand, and that he isn’t specifically blaming Be Quiet! or the Dark Power 13 PSU, as there have been numerous reports of melting with a variety of PSU and graphics card combinations. However, the one common denominator is the 12V-2×6 power connector.
VIEW GALLERY – 2 IMAGES
Unfortunately, this issue is far from new. Melted connectors have plagued the RTX 50-series since launch in early 2025. Despite undervolting and power limiting, users still report failures, and the issue continues to plague enthusiast PC gamers, which is unfortunate as these are the customers who care enough about the hardware to drop multiple thousands of dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Open a question for an answer from TweakTown’s coverage of this news, or ask your own below.
Question #1
What did the Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro show about current imbalance on the 12V-2×6 cable?
It showed an extreme current imbalance on the 12V-2×6 cable, with one wire pulling 22A while the others carried almost none. The damage was worse at the PSU end, where the wires not carrying current were completely melted.
Question #2
Was the cable damage worse at the GPU end or the PSU end in this incident?
The damage was worse at the PSU end. Steve said the wires that were not carrying any current were completely melted there after he pulled the cable out.
Question #3
Are all RTX 5090 and RTX 50-series power connector melts being blamed on the PSU, or is the 12V-2×6 connector itself the common issue?
No. Steve said he is not specifically blaming Be Quiet! or the Dark Power 13 PSU, because similar melting reports have turned up across a mix of PSU and graphics card combinations. The common denominator he pointed to is the 12V-2×6 power connector itself.
Question #4
Does seating the 12V-2×6 cable properly in the PSU prevent this melting problem?
No. In this case, the cable was described as perfectly seated in the power supply before the melting happened, so proper seating did not prevent it. The problem was still reported even with that connection, and the write-up says the common denominator is the 12V-2×6 power connector.
Have a question about this content not listed here? Ask below and TweakBot will answer it.
TweakBot is analyzing your question…
TweakBot is generating an answer
Was TweakBot helpful?Thanks for the feedback!
Remedies for the issue aren’t exactly easy, as some modders have shown that soldering the wires directly to PCBs can bypass the flawed design. However, for the remainder of owners, the problem persists.