When building a gaming PC, you don’t expect any components to catch fire. But that happened to two RTX 4090 graphics cards🇧🇷 THE nvidia stated that the problem was caused by a poorly seated connector. But the matter did not end there. O PCI-SIGthe group responsible for the PCI Express standard, hinted that Nvidia and manufacturers should have anticipated this risk.
the video cards Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 have a 12VHPWR cable for power supply. In two episodes that became public, the component started to smoke and melt🇧🇷
Under these circumstances, we soon wonder if there was some kind of overload. However, one of the users reported that he played Red Dead Redemption 2 at the time of the incident. During gameplay, the video card demanded 400 W, which the RTX 4090 connector supports. Or should bear.
Nvidia began investigating both cases. On November 18th, the company posted on a support page who was still studying the problem, but who already had a clue as to the cause: the incomplete fit of the 12VHPWR connector.
In the same publication, Nvidia admitted to having received, until that date, about 50 cases of burnt connectors. Could it be that in all of them the 12VHPWR connector was badly fitted?
The PCI-SIG message
Perhaps the answer is a resounding “yes”. But for the PCI-SIGmanufacturers need to carry out tests that consider situations in which the device may pose some kind of danger to the user.
In a note sent to Technoblog and other vehicles, the PCI-SIG stated the following:
PCI-SIG would like to remind all members who manufacture, market, or resell PCI-SIG technologies (including 12VHPWR connections) of the need to take all appropriate and prudent measures to ensure end-user security, including testing for reported problems involving consumers, as alleged in the aforementioned lawsuit.
(…) When implementing a PCI-SIG specification, members are responsible for the design, manufacture and testing, including security testing of their products.
If you were wondering what PCI-SIG’s relationship is with the subject, here’s the explanation. The entity is responsible for standardizing the 12VHPWR connector. It is up to her to provide the technical specifications for manufacturing the component. However, production methods, materials and safety tests are the responsibility of the PCI-SIG members, that is, the manufacturers.
The action mentioned in the statement concerns a lawsuit: in the United States, the matter ended up in a California court.
If the problem is indeed with the fit, developing a way to prevent the 12VHPWR connector from being mis-fitted is the most obvious solution to the problem. But that would likely lead to a recall program, which would entail taking the blame. Apparently, this is a story that still goes a long way.
At least Nvidia has announced that it and partner companies (which assemble the RTX 4090 cards) have committed to repairing the units in the approximately 50 reported cases.
https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/2022/12/02/nvidia-deve-garantir-que-conector-da-rtx-4090-nao-derreta-diz-pci-sig/