Since the launch of the RTX 4090, it has been seen that the PCIe Gen5 or 12+4 pin connector is having connection issues that are leading to the connectors generating a large amount of heat and the connections melting and deteriorating dangerously. . Since this is a general problem of the graphics connector itself, something related to faulty hardware, a consumer has filed a class action lawsuit against the GPU maker.
Lucas Genova filed the suit in a California court on November 11. Tom's Hardware discovered the filing on litigation records aggregator Justia. You can see in the updates that an official subpoena was issued to Nvidia on November 15.
The RTX 4090 adapter gives so many problems that they take NVIDIA to court
The '16VHPWR' 12-pin power adapter used to connect the RTX 4090 to an ATX 2.0 power supply contains an unknown bug that can cause the adapter to reach high temperatures. This poses a direct security risk, as well as the risk of damaging the GPU.
In a Reddit megathread there have been cases of cable fusion, and the first RTX 4090 Founders Edition has been the victim of the fatal failure this week. At the time of writing the lines, the number of confirmed cases is at least 26 cases, with another six more unconfirmed cases. The megathread is expected be presented as evidence in the next lawsuit.
The Genova class action lawsuit claims that “Nvidia sold GPUs that had faulty and dangerous power outlets, which has rendered consumer cards inoperable and poses a serious electrical and fire hazard to any and all buyers.«. In a recent Gamers Nexus video, an Nvidia partner had encrypted the adapter's failure rate 12VHPWR by 0,05-0,1%. This is one in 1.500 RTX 4090 cards on average. NVIDIA could appeal to bad luck and a usual margin of error in manufacturing to dismiss the case.
It is believed that correctly inserting the adapter and using a small amount of dielectric grease should prevent the card from igniting. Power supply expert JonnyGuru explained it in his recent blog post regarding the problem.
Source: TechRadar
