First Incident of Melted 16-Pin Connector on AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Graphics Card

Recent discussions on Reddit have unveiled a concerning incident involving an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, where a 16-pin power connector melted. This incident has reignited concerns regarding the durability and reliability of the modern power input design for high-performance graphics cards.

Potential Hazards of Using 16-Pin Power Connectors in AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPUs

The first individual to report a melted connector is a Reddit user by the name of Savings_Opportunity3. The incident involved an ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC card, which utilizes a 16-pin power connector. Unlike traditional 8-pin connectors commonly found in other Radeon RX models, ASRock and Sapphire employ the latest 16-pin 12V-2×6 standard, designed to provide enhanced safety. However, this incident parallels past issues seen with NVIDIA’s RTX 5090, illustrating that safety cannot be guaranteed without proper equipment and installation procedures.

Close-up of a hand holding a GPU PSU connector indoors, on a blurred background.

Hand holding a computer power connector with 8 pins, plaid fabric in the background.

This issue came to light a month prior to the Reddit post, when the user noticed a discoloration on some pins of the adapter during a motherboard upgrade. The ASRock graphics card is designed to accommodate an adapter that converts three 8-pin inputs to a single 16-pin output. Recently, Savings_Opportunity3 reported that by the fourth connection and disconnection cycle, the connector had already melted.

Previous incidents have shown that adapter cables tend to be more prone to overheating and melting compared to direct 16-pin connections. The user, while not providing explicit evidence that the connectors were seated correctly, mentioned relying on a budget 700W power supply unit (PSU) from Kolink. It’s important to note that Kolink does not offer an ATX 3.1-compliant PSU, which is the recommended standard for maximizing safety.

ASRock advises an 850W PSU as a minimum requirement for their Radeon RX 9070 XT GPUs, suggesting that several factors contributed to the failure in this case, including:

Utilizing a PSU with insufficient wattage (700W) and only ATX 3.0 certification.
Opting for a 16-pin adapter cable rather than a direct connection.
Lack of confirmation that all connectors were properly secured.

This experience underscores the necessity for meticulous verification with 16-pin connectors, highlighting a stark contrast to older 8-pin connectors that offered clear feedback during installation. Properly connected older models typically provided users with a definitive click sound, ensuring a reliable attachment.

Hand holding power cable connector near PC hardware setup. — Image Source: Savings_Opportunity3 (r/Radeon)

Fortunately, the user reported that only the adapter portion suffered damage, and they have since upgraded to an appropriate ATX 3.1 PSU for their Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU. It’s essential to note that this particular graphics card demands more power than the RTX 5080, making a robust PSU crucial for optimal performance.

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