Chinese repair centre has received 7 melted 12+4-pin Nvidia GPUs in just the past two days alone

A Chinese repair technician known as Zhang the Computer Repairman posted a video showing seven Nvidia GPUs sent for repair within 48 hours due to burnt 12+4-pin power interfaces. The affected cards include RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 models from Asus, MSI, Gainward, and Founders Edition variants, indicating the issue spans multiple manufacturers. The damage manifests as either a burned socket interface or a melted power connector, often requiring cable removal for repair.

Zhang repairs each card by replacing the damaged 12+4-pin socket, cleaning contacts, and testing functionality. While some cards still run hot after repair, temperatures remain within acceptable ranges during 3DMark benchmarks. The technician notes that power supply cables and connectors can also become excessively warm during operation, suggesting a systemic issue rather than isolated failures.

The repairman observed that users experiencing unusually hot power cables near the GPU connector should monitor their systems closely. He recommends checking the 12+4-pin voltage readout in GPU-Z, particularly if the voltage drops below 12V, which may indicate a developing problem. The issue appears unrelated to specific power supplies or cables, as cards from different setups show similar symptoms.

Experts warn that high power draw from modern GPUs is causing widespread melting of connectors and cables, a problem unlikely to resolve without intervention. While monitoring tools like GPU-Z can provide early warnings, new devices such as an OCP dongle from Super Flower may offer additional protection against potential failures.