A Reddit user reported that their PNY RTX 5090 graphics card suffered a severe melting of its 16-pin power connector. The incident occurred while playing the game Crypt of the NecroDancer, which requires only 512MB of VRAM and does not push the card to its 600W power limit.
The user, identified as u/UnpluggedUnfettered, noticed a burning smell during gameplay and discovered the plastic pins on the connector had melted and fused together. This specific hardware failure has been reported across various RTX 5090 models from different manufacturers.
PNY initially denied responsibility, claiming the power cable is not part of the graphics card and attributing the damage to user error. The system integrator, DigitalStorm, offered to assist in coordinating with PNY, but the user opted for a local repair shop instead.
The estimated cost for the repair is $180. The user expressed frustration with the manufacturer's refusal to provide support for a known issue and stated they would likely avoid purchasing pre-built systems in the future, despite their positive experience with DigitalStorm's communication.
