Nvidia’s new RTX 4090 and 4080 GPUs each use a brand new connector referred to as 12VHPWR to ship energy as a approach to fulfill ever-more power-hungry graphics playing cards while not having to put aside the bodily house required for 3 or 4 8-pin energy connectors. However that energy connector and its specs weren’t created by Nvidia alone—to make sure interoperability, the spec was developed collectively by the PCI Categorical Particular Curiosity Group (PCI-SIG), a physique that features Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Arm, IBM, Qualcomm, and others.

However the overheating and melting points skilled by some RTX 4090 house owners not too long ago have apparently prompted the PCI-SIG to make clear precisely which elements of the spec it’s and isn’t chargeable for. In an announcement reported by Tom’s {Hardware}, the group despatched its members a reminder that they, not the PCI-SIG, have been chargeable for security testing merchandise utilizing connector specs like 12VHPWR.

“Members are reminded that PCI-SIG specs present vital technical data for interoperability and don’t try to handle correct design, manufacturing strategies, supplies, security testing, security tolerances, or workmanship,” the assertion reads. “When implementing a PCI-SIG specification, Members are chargeable for the design, manufacturing, and testing, together with security testing, of their merchandise.”

In different phrases: the PCI-SIG tells corporations easy methods to make their 12VHPWR merchandise work with different corporations’ 12VHPWR merchandise, however they don’t seem to be concerned within the manufacturing or security testing of any particular 12VHPWR product. This assertion seems designed to absolve the PCI-SIG of any blame within the melting-power-connector saga in mild of a lawsuit that has been filed towards Nvidia over the issue.

Testing from third events and Nvidia suggests the RTX 4090 GPUs’ overheating energy connectors are largely as a result of person error quite than a basic problem with the design—usually, overheating and melting connectors displayed proof that that they had not been absolutely inserted into the GPUs’ 12VHPWR connector. This downside appears to have an effect on all 12VHPWR cables, whether or not you are utilizing an adapter for 8-pin PCIe energy cables or a local 12VHPWR cable that runs on to your energy provide, nevertheless it additionally appears to be comparatively uncommon.

Nonetheless, producers might construct in additional fail-safes to detect improper connections or make it extra apparent when a cable is absolutely inserted and when it is not—a bigger connector with louder and extra simply seen retention clips have helped 6- and 8-pin PCIe energy connectors keep away from this type of problem for years. Hopefully we’ll see developments that assist stop this type of person error, whether or not they come from producers or within the type of a spec change from the PCI-SIG. The 12VHPWR connector is probably going right here to remain, due to its inclusion in Intel’s ATX 3.0 spec for PC energy provides.