Users may be to blame for problems with GeForce RTX 4090 power connector

Users themselves may be the source of problems with 12+4-pin 12VHPWR power connectors on GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards.
Corsair power supply expert with a nickname JonnyGuru believes that users incorrectly connect adapters or cables to the video card power connector, which causes the melting of connectors.To recap, shortly after the launch of GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards in the web began to appear reports of melting power connectors 12VHPWR.
Initially it was assumed that the reason for this are low-quality adapters, which NVIDIA and its partners put in the set of video cards.
These adapters turn four 8-pin connectors into one new 12+4-pin connector.
Later on it turned out that even when connecting a video card without an adapter, i.e.
directly to a modern power adapter with a native 12VHPWR cable, the connector can melt.
Now JonnyGuru came up with the theory that users might not fully plug the 12+4 pin connector into the graphics card slot, which could lead to connection problems and lead to increased resistance, higher temperatures and melting of the connectors.
This theory is not new and has not yet been 100% confirmed.
Nevertheless, JonnyGuru told us how exactly he came to this version of events.
Firstly, the expert connected Corsair HX1500i power adapter to GeForce RTX 4090 video card, but using only three 8-pin connectors, which should provide higher current and thus higher heating.
To replicate the problem and cause the connector to overheat, JonnyGuru started messing with the connectors, especially trying to break the solder strength.
After the tests everything remained in its place, it was not so easy to break the connector, and the temperature did not exceed 53 °C.Then the expert investigated all known cases of connector melting, looking through every published photo and comparing undamaged connections with the ones which faced melting.
The conclusion was, \"ANY 12VHPWR connector has the potential to melt because ANY of them can be difficult to insert.
\u003C...> VERY HARD to fully insert\".The expert noted that in many cases the damaged connector was not fully, fully plugged into the video card - there was a small gap that could lead to problems.
JonnyGuru recommends users who are worried about their GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards to use an electrical contact lubricant which will ensure better contact between the connector and the video card connector.NVIDIA has not yet given any comment on the situation.
Meanwhile, PCI-SIG, which is in charge of certifying everything related to the PCIe standard, including power connectors, has distributed a notice that hints at the upcoming version of the 12+4-pin 12VHPWR connector.
A fresh specification could be published by December 6, 2022.

Turns out that 5-14% of GeForce RTX 4090 adapters use lower grade wires than others

An investigation into the problem of melting power connectors on GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards has revealed that not everyone gets the same adapter.
Surveys conducted by several technology media outlets showed that some users received an adapter with a video card that uses lower grade wires.For starters, recall that last week the problem of melting new 12+4-pin power connectors (12VHPWR) on GeForce RTX 4090 video cards surfaced.
After that Igor's Lab seemed to suggest that it was caused by poor quality adapters from four regular 8-pin connectors to one 12+4 pin new ones.
But the Gamers Nexus research showed that the problem is unlikely to be just the adapters - they failed to make the connectors melt even after damaging them.
Gamers Nexus also noticed that the adapters they tested used wire rated at 300V (marked 14AWG, 105C), while the wire in Igor's Lab pictures was rated at 150V (marked 16AWG, 105C).
Gamers Nexus and the Hardware Luxx website asked their audience how common wires of this or that type are.Gamers Nexus stated that out of 130 GeForce RTX 4090 owners surveyed, only 7 people or only 5.4% had adapters with lower class wires, while the rest had 300V wires.
In Germany Hardware Luxx has a smaller sample so far - 29 people, of which 86.2% have adapters with 300V wires, while 13.8% have adapters with 150V wires.
Interestingly, in Germany, adapters with lower-grade wires are more common.That said, even if you have an adapter with 150V wires, don't panic.
At this point, there is no known connection between wire cross-section and connector meltdown.
Nevertheless, with at least 15 \"documented\" cases of adapter meltdowns so far, any GeForce RTX 4090 owner should exercise caution until NVIDIA and its partners release an official statement about what's going on.

Potentially problematic GeForce RTX 4090 adapters tested: they didn't melt even with damage

Last week the scandal with melting 12+4-pin power connectors at GeForce RTX 4090 owners began to break.
It turned out that the problem could be caused by poor-quality power adapters, used by NVIDIA and some partners to assemble their cards with four 8-pin to 12+4 pin connectors.
But YouTube channel Gamers Nexus was unable to confirm this hypothesis.\tAfter German resource Igor's Lab publication about substandard performance of adapters with 12VHPWR socket, Gamers Nexus YouTube channel decided to check this by examining several adapters from ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 ROG Strix, Colorful GeForce RTX 4090 Neptune OC and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics cards.
And several things in the Igor's Lab investigation were called into question at once.\tFirstly, the cables on the adapter opened by the German resource have a different marking - they are designed for 150 V, whereas all Gamers Nexus adapters use cables for 300 V.
Second, the soldering of cables to connectors is different: while Igor's Lab cables are soldered separately, GN cables are soldered in pairs.
In the latter case, a larger contact area is provided and the connection is potentially more reliable.
Gamers Nexus tested many adapters, all of which were different from what Igor's Lab demonstrated.\t\t\t\tGamers Nexus replicated several cable failure scenarios to measure connector temperatures and figure out when melting was most likely to occur.
The tests were conducted with a normal power connector, a damaged connector with bad contact, as well as two missing contacts (two wires on the sides were cut and current only flowed through the center two), and finally one cut and one bad contact.
The tests were done with normal frequencies and with overclocking.
FurMark and other applications were used for the tests.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs a result, it was not possible to burn the connector.
The maximum temperature to which the power connector was heated was +74.4 °C.
In this case the cable with damage gets hotter than the whole one.
So, in theory, this could lead to problems.
But it was not possible to repeat them in laboratory conditions yet.We should add that NVIDIA itself urged all its partners, to whom consumers will return GeForce RTX 4090 with melted connectors, to send video cards to study them.

Tesla electric cars began warning owners about periods of peak power consumption

The Texas power system became infamous last February, when unprecedented cold windy weather in the area left not only a significant portion of residential neighborhoods, but also a number of manufacturing plants without power.
This year, Tesla electric cars began warning their owners in Texas that during periods of peak energy consumption it is better not to charge them.Image source: TeslaIt is known that some time ago not only Tesla CEO Elon Musk moved to Texas, but also the company's headquarters.
Next door in Austin, a new Tesla Model Y assembly plant was built and recently started operating.
For the foreseeable future it will be ready to put Semi trucks, Cybertruck pickups, second-generation Roadster sports car and even Optimus (Tesla Bot) humanoid robots on the assembly line.
In all likelihood, Tesla will also assemble robotic cabs here, so integrating the business into the local energy system is a crucial task for the company.As Electrek explains, Tesla is actively building stationary electricity storage facilities in Texas, which will help level out seasonal fluctuations in consumption.
Solar panels and residential electricity storage systems are being installed in residential neighborhoods.
One car owner on the pages of Reddit confessed that his Tesla electric car issued a recommendation to avoid charging between the hours of 3 p.m.
and 8 p.m.
in the coming days.
It echoes exactly the recommendations of the local electric regulator, which, in light of the approaching hot season, urged Texans to limit their energy use during this time of day.
The other day, a spike in power consumption on the local power grid has already caused an emergency shutdown of six generating facilities.
At the same time, citizens were advised to set thermostats in their homes to 26 degrees Celsius or higher.