GoKawiil
Tech News
Reddit user DallasGrave created a custom power-conversion kit that bypasses Nvidia's 16-pin (12VHPWR/12V-2x6) connector on the RTX 5090, soldering a harness directly to the card's PCB power rails and routing power through four standard 8-pin PCIe connectors instead. The four 8-pin connectors together match the 16-pin connector's 600W capacity while spreading current across more, larger, and more widely spaced pins.
Reddit user DallasGrave, reportedly affiliated with cooling company Grave PC, detailed a mod that solders a pickup PCB to the RTX 5090's 12VHPWR header and routes power through an added dual eight-pin board, spreading current across three cable sets. The user says a card modified this way ran at 550W for 48 hours with cable temperatures staying under 40°C, and plans to offer the conversion as a paid service with warranty, with a PNY-branded version also in the works.
Reddit user DallasGrave, linked to GRAVEPC.com, posted images of a custom module screwed onto an RTX 5090 that splits current across additional wires to reduce 12VHPWR connector temperatures. The fix involves soldering extra connections to the power rails on the card's PCB and routing them through the external distributor. He stated GRAVEPC, a PNY partner, plans to sell a PNY-specific version of this modified card with full warranty coverage, though it isn't yet listed on the site.
Korean outlet QuasarZone tested the GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition running Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with DLSS 5 enabled, recording peak power draw near 650W and a 16-pin (12VHPWR) connector temperature of 91.7 degrees Celsius, higher than the GPU die itself. The RTX 5080 also showed a temperature rise with DLSS 5 on, though smaller in magnitude than the 5090's.
A Redditor reports their PNY RTX 5090, bought last September, died last month after the 12VHPWR cable connectors melted on both the GPU and PSU ends. PNY denied the warranty claim the same day, saying only its own bundled cable or adapter is covered, even though the user used the cable that shipped with their Asrock PG-1600G PSU rather than a random third-party cable. The card was reportedly idling, unmodified, running stock settings and even underclocked when it failed.