NV 12VHPWR issues revisited

[Muadib]

Not worried about it due to the statistical insignificance of the numbers which I do not believe amount to more than 1% failures (over 130k 4090s sold as of end 2022). They make huge splash stories and big media coverage when they occur and of course animated forum discussions.

Still its a matter that needed addressing by Nvidia to allay buyers fears from all the negative coverage and of course to reduce any further occurences of it. So a better designed connector is a step in right direction.

What makes you so sure that you aren't in that 1%? This has class action suit all over it!!

 

[amenx]

What makes you so sure that you aren't in that 1%? This has class action suit all over it!!

99% sure is enough for me . Have an undervolted 4080 that draws only 244w at load which further distances me from that 1% that virtually all involves 4090s.

 

[Muadib]

99% sure is enough for me . Have an undervolted 4080 that draws only 244w at load which further distances me from that 1% that virtually all involves 4090s.

Then you have no horse in the race!!! WTF!!!

 

[amenx]

Then you have no horse in the race!!! WTF!!!

Well the way its being presented in this thread, everyone with a 12VHPWR connector is a disaster waiting to happen. Glad you see some perspective at least. Even though you still seem to be worried about your 1% status.

 

[Muadib]

Well the way its being presented in this thread, everyone with a 12VHPWR connector is a disaster waiting to happen. Glad you see some perspective at least. Even though you still seem to be worried about your 1% status.

Yes, I'm worried. So much so that I shut my pc down nightly now. That's a major thing for me. I have left my pc on since before my Genie days!

 

[Aapje]

It's a design that will keep the pitchforks up. No design will alleviate that problem. At least not on here.

Only as long as we keep seeing things that are hard to blame on user error.

We've seen connectors that were fully plugged in with the locking tab engaged, which could be pulled out quite a bit because the locking tab had so much play. So at that point it's not even good enough to initially plug it in correctly, but it can then go wrong just by unknowingly putting a little pressure on the cable when working on another component, when closing the case where the door hits the cable or even just vibrations that wiggle it loose over time.

I think that it is completely unreasonable to expect users to take that amount of care. The potential vibration issue would require a pre-boot check similar to how pilots do a pre-flight check. That is truly an exceptional level of care that people almost never do in other situations. It is not a reasonable demand to place on regular consumers or even self-taught professionals.

In my view, a reasonable demand is that consumers should plug it in correctly, where the connector provides good feedback when it is fully seated. Then once properly seated, the connector should not come loose again unless you fiddle with the locking tab. That's exactly what that tab is for, after all! And ideally the connector should only have two states: seated sufficiently and passing current or too loose and not passing current. The third state, partially seated and melting, is bad.

But so far the connector has failed on giving feedback when it is properly seated, on coming loose unintentionally and on passing current despite not being seating sufficiently. That's all design error.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I have never liked any PCIe connectors. Cumbersome to plug and unplug. In fact, other than the SATA power connector, almost every connector from the PSU is too stiff for easy plugging/unplugging. Why couldn't they just design a USB style connector that plugged in snugly and stayed put, with a lock button?

 

[OlyAR15]

Holy crap. I finally got to see this connector IRL. Why the heck is it so tiny? I don't understand why they didn't make the pins the same size as the normal PCIE connector. It wouldn't have made it that much bigger.

 

[BFG10K]

There is this part in the very post you linked that explains how the shorter sensing pins are there to prevent "user error".

Dictionary definition of "clip":

noun: clip; plural noun: clips

• 1.a flexible or spring-loaded device for holding an object or objects together or in place.

The 12VHPWR clip neither holds anything together, nor does it hold anything in place. Therefore, the 12VHPWR clip is both defective and faulty.

Videos show objective proof that even a light touch can dislodge the contact, despite the clip still fully locked & engaged. This is what some people in their confused / befuddled state refer to as "user error".

It's amazing to see people defend a $trillion corporation for what is essentially a $2000 fire-starter plug. What other consumer device requires constant checking to make sure it isn't melting? Even soldering irons, gas burners, and arc welders don't spontaneously melt.

Yet the 4090 is somehow a sacred messiah that requires constant tending, as if it was a temple deity.

No design will alleviate that problem.

8pin PCIe. If you think otherwise, please show 6 different melting examples over the course of 5 days like I did above.

Alternatively, please show a single repair shop having a constant stream of melted 8pin over the last 6 months like Northridgefix. With millions more 8pin in the wild compared to 12VHPWR, you should have no trouble doing so.

 

[Heartbreaker]

Holy crap. I finally got to see this connector IRL. Why the heck is it so tiny? I don't understand why they didn't make the pins the same size as the normal PCIE connector. It wouldn't have made it that much bigger.

Probably to prevent people from trying to hammer two six pins into it.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Probably to prevent people from trying to hammer two six pins into it.

With how expensive these cards are, they should have a connector fitness self test built in and light an LED red if the contact is inadequate. But no, nGreedia will save every single penny and pass it on to its investors and Jensen.

They better design a reference case for the 4090 Ti where the card is free of any cable bending, GPU sag and fire hazard issues. If they don't, they don't care about gamers. Period.

Then gamers deserve every single issue they face for putting up with nGreedia's arrogance.

 

[AdamK47]

Dictionary definition of "clip":

noun: clip; plural noun: clips

• 1.a flexible or spring-loaded device for holding an object or objects together or in place.

The 12VHPWR clip neither holds anything together, nor does it hold anything in place. Therefore, the 12VHPWR clip is both defective and faulty.

Videos show objective proof that even a light touch can dislodge the contact, despite the clip still fully locked & engaged. This is what some people in their confused / befuddled state refer to as "user error".

It's amazing to see people defend a $trillion corporation for what is essentially a $2000 fire-starter plug. What other consumer device requires constant checking to make sure it isn't melting? Even soldering irons, gas burners, and arc welders don't spontaneously melt.

Yet the 4090 is somehow a sacred messiah that requires constant tending, as if it was a temple deity.


8pin PCIe. If you think otherwise, please show 6 different melting examples over the course of 5 days like I did above.

Alternatively, please show a single repair shop having a constant stream of melted 8pin over the last 6 months like Northridgefix. With millions more 8pin in the wild compared to 12VHPWR, you should have no trouble doing so.

I'm not defending a trillion dollar company. I simply don't ever worry about this issue while using my 4090. It's plugged in and working properly.

You're free to use up time and energy to get angry about whatever you want. You've been doing that for years on this forum. Is there anything pleasant you post? Post history doesn't show any.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I simply don't ever worry about this issue while using my 4090.

TBH, you do your research and buy the best brand/model.

The issue is, even the worst brand/model of this expensive GPU shouldn't have any showstopping problems. It is the GPU manufacturer's duty to ensure that all their AIB partners create passable designs that make it through the warranty period, at the very least. If they let anyone create a bad card, they are being lazy and arrogant for not caring about the loyal gamer who is plumping down so much cash. They are, in effect, not caring about their customer, which is the very worst a company can do.

 

[CP5670]

I haven't paid any attention to this either. My card has been working fine for 8 months using the Corsair adapter plug. I agree that the connector design is flawed, but it's still extremely rare for it to burn up especially if you plug it in carefully and hear the click. (which everyone started to pay attention to after this issue was in the news)

 

[gdansk]

I haven't paid attention to it but I'm posting in the thread about it repeatedly just to say how much I haven't paid attention to it and how much I am not worried about it

 

[MrTeal]

Sometimes I need to take a day off work because I wake up so tired when my alarm goes off, never really sleeping the previous night with worry about flaming connectors.

 

[gdansk]

Sometimes I need to take a day off work because I wake up so tired when my alarm goes off, never really sleeping the previous night with worry about flaming connectors.

Ask your doctor about connector anxiety. You can get meds for that. My quack doc prescribed Steve Job's All Natural "I can't believe it's just user error" Supplement (FDA approval pending).

 

[igor_kavinski]

Connector nightmare #4458

Plugged connector into card.

Plugged cable into VR headset.

Enjoying a VR game, shoot something big, massive explosion.

Screen goes black. Smell something burning.

Take off VR headset.

PC on fire.

Wake up all sweaty, run to your living room to check on the PC.

It's fine. Breathe a sigh of relief.

 

[MrTeal]

That's just Nvidia RealSmell† technology. Bring all your senses into the battlefield.


† Game support required. RealSmell is a single use feature, choose wisely.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Connector nightmare #4458

Plugged connector into card.

Plugged cable into VR headset.

Enjoying a VR game, shoot something big, massive explosion.

Screen goes black. Smell something burning.

Take off VR headset.

PC on fire.

Wake up all sweaty, run to your living room to check on the PC.

It's fine. Breathe a sigh of relief.

-Missed the part where your consciousness is downloaded to live an entire lifetime with the dying civilization that calls the 12VHPWR connector its home and like a prophet of doom watching helplessly as the civilization is burned away by the failing connector before waking up sweating on the deck of your living room with your wife Deanna Troy and her boyfriend commander Riker watching over you.

You retreat to your room and play a sad little song on your flute, which you learned to play during your forgotten lifetime.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Coolermaster to the rescue? https://www.tomshardware.com/news/cooler-master-ships-psu-with-more-durable-cooler-12vhpwr-connector

 

[gdansk]

I am using a cheap Chinese right angle 12vhpwr adapter I bought for $20.
Any guess on how long until my house burns down?

 

[coercitiv]

cheap Chinese right angle 12vhpwr adapter I bought for $20.

If the cheap one costs $20, how much does the expensive one cost?!

 

[alcoholbob]

I am using a cheap Chinese right angle 12vhpwr adapter I bought for $20.
Any guess on how long until my house burns down?

If your adapter has a 4 pin NTK connector, probably never. A 3 dimple Astrom or even the 2 dimple one, then its probably just a matter of time.

 

[gdansk]

If the cheap one costs $20, how much does the expensive one cost?!

It was cheaper than CableMod or ModDIY. It seems okay.

If your adapter has a 4 pin NTK connector, probably never. A 3 dimple Astrom or even the 2 dimple one, then its probably just a matter of time.

If I don't post a status update next year then please consider me deceased.