NVIDIA requests board partners to collect and ship broken RTX 4090 cards to HQ
Igor’sLAB reviews that NVIDIA has notified all AICs (Add-in-Card) partners to collect RTX 4090 affected by ‘melted’ 16-pin power connectors and ship them instantly to the HQ.
NVIDIA is stepping up its response to the brand new power adapter points. A narrative blew up earlier this week after quite a few customers reportedly had points with RTX 4090 cards dying after 16-pin/PCIe Gen5/12VHPWR power connectors and adapters melting, and in some instances destroying the cards within the course of.
Naturally, this isn’t search for NVIDIA, whose brand is on each 4x 8-pin to 16-pin power adapter bundled with the cards. The problem of overheating and, in some instances, the melting power connector seems to impression all board partners, so the problem had to be escalated inside NVIDIA.
Igor Wallossek confirmed with individuals aware of the matter that NVIDIA has requested all affected cards to be shipped to the HQ for evaluation. It’s not clear whether or not this implies NVIDIA HQ or AIC HQ, but it surely shouldn’t actually matter as a result of each events are able to find out the foundation explanation for this situation.
nVIDIA simply notified all AIC this morning… All broken cards want to be despatched instantly to HQ for failure evaluation, that is first time… Even a couple of years in the past when 2080 Ti received situation with Micron, they didn’t do that.
— Igor’sLAB
Igor believes that this situation just isn’t brought on by extreme bending of the power cable, neither is it a results of exceeding advisable use cycles. The problem would be the power adapter itself, which is of poor high quality.
NVIDIA 12VHPWR (PCIe Gen5 adapter), Supply: Igor’sLAB
It’s stated that the adapter might have fireplace-harmful flaws within the design. Wobbly contacts and unsafe solder may be the explanation so many adapters are seeing warmth spikes. The primary concern is on NVIDIA’s personal power adapter, different manufacturers might not be impacted by the problem.
Why NVIDIA’s 12VHPWR adapter is having points:
- The issue just isn’t the 12VHPWR connection as such, nor the repeated plugging or unplugging.
- Customary compliant power provide cables from model producers are NOT affected by this up to now.
- The present set off is NVIDIA’s personal adapter to 4x 8-pin within the equipment, whose inferior high quality can lead to failures and has already brought on harm in single instances.
- Splitting every of the 4 14AWG leads onto every of the 6 pins within the 12VHPWR connector of the adapter by soldering them onto bridges which might be a lot too skinny is harmful as a result of the ends of the leads can break off on the solder joint (e.g., when kinked or bent a number of occasions).
- Bending or kinking the wires instantly on the connector of the adapter places an excessive amount of strain on the solder joints and bridges, in order that they will break off.
- The internal bridge between the pins is just too skinny (ensuing cross part) to compensate the present movement on two or three as an alternative of 4 linked 12V traces.
- NVIDIA has already been knowledgeable prematurely and the information and footage had been additionally supplied by be quiet! instantly to the R&D division.
NVIDIA has confirmed to The Verge it’s actively investigating the issue. The corporate already promised to exchange the primary reported card. Different customers mustn’t fear about substitute, however it will be suggested to pay nearer consideration to the cards when gaming.
Supply: Igor’sLAB (assertion), Igor’sLAB (evaluation)