Modder “solves” the 12VHPWR problem with soldered dual 8-pin adapter

Modder uses a dual-8-pin power mod to reduce the load on his RTX 5090’s 12V-2×6 power connector

News of melting 12V-2×6/12VHPWR power connectors is common, and many gamers are desperate for a solution to the connector’s apparent design flaw. Now, a modder called DallasGrave has modded their RTX 5090’s 12V-2×6 power connector to add two supplemental 8-pin power connectors to this mix. This solves the 12V-2×6/12VHPWR power cable’s problems by dramatically reducing the load on the cable, allowing it to run much cooler and with much lower amperage.

Under a 48-hour 550W load, DallasGrave’s RTX 5090 never saw its cable reach 40 degrees. With three power cables, this GPU’s power cables ran cool and had no risk of melting.

This mod still uses the GPU’s original 12V-2×6 power connector and uses soldered connections. By soldering the connection and splitting power across multiple cables, this modder has dramatically reduced the temperatures of their power cables.

It is a supplementary conversion. The 12VHPWR connector is still used but the individual conductor current and temperature is dramatically reduced. I’ve got a whole lot of test data coming soon.

Edit to add: There is a pickup PCB soldered to the contacts for the original 12VHPWR header and that feeds the auxiliary dual 8 pin board. The power draw and temperature across all conductors is substantially lower, about ~3A. The card was running full load for 48 hours at 550W and the wires never crossed 40c even at the joint. It is three cables total.

– Reddit User DallasGrave

This mod has clear downsides

The downside of this mod is that it requires users to solder wires to their RTX 5090. This will void the GPU’s warranty, which is an incredibly bad move given today’s RTX 5090 prices. You won’t find an RTX 5090 available in the UK today for under £4,000 at a major retailer. It is also worth noting that the 12V-2×6 power cable remains in use, albeit with a much lower load. If you want to avoid using this cable, this mod is not for you.

You can join the discussion on this modder’s solution to the 12V-2×6 problem on the OC3D Forums.

Mark Campbell

Mark Campbell

A Northern Irish father, husband, and techie that works to turn tea and coffee into articles when he isn’t painting his extensive minis collection or using things to make other things.

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