● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Modders solder power cables directly to RTX 5090 PCB to bypass 16-pin connector issues
Key points
- TecLab soldered power cables directly to an RTX 5090D PCB.
- The modification bypassed the 16-pin power connector.
- The card operated at 600W with external chiller cooling.
- The experiment was a response to recurring 16-pin connector failures.
Direct Power Connection for RTX 5090
Brazilian YouTuber TecLab conducted an experiment by directly soldering power cables to the printed circuit board (PCB) of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090D graphics card. This method was used to circumvent the 16-pin power connector, which has been associated with reliability issues and melting reports in RTX 4090 and 5090 series cards.
Experimental Setup and Card Specifications
The GPU used was a Galax HOF OC LAB XOC variant of the RTX 5090D, which is designed for high power draw and can support up to 2,000W OC BIOSes. For the experiment, the modders removed the card's heatsink and fans, opting for industrial liquid chiller cooling. Two sets of wires were soldered directly to the PCB, linking to the power connector traces, and connected to standard 16-pin power cables from a PSU via adapters.
Performance and Power Draw
Despite the unconventional power delivery and cooling setup, the modified RTX 5090D successfully booted and ran benchmarks. The card operated at approximately 600W, as indicated by a power meter reading of ~50A on the 12V rail. The core was kept cool by an industrial liquid chiller and two 120mm fans zip-tied to the PCB.
Motivation and Implications
TecLab undertook this experiment due to ongoing complaints about the 16-pin power connectors on RTX 5090s. The experiment, while successful in demonstrating an alternative power method, is not presented as a safe or practical solution for general users. It highlights the persistent issues with the 16-pin connector in high-power graphics cards.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Brazilian YouTuber TecLab soldered power cables directly to an RTX 5090D PCB, bypassing the problematic 16-pin power connector. This modification allowed the card to operate at 600W under chiller cooling, demonstrating an alternative power delivery method for high-power GPUs.