Controversy surrounding the GeForce RTX 5090, a $1,999 GPU based on NVIDIA’s “Blackwell” architecture that some early adopters say is so powerful that it can burn houses down, is totally overblown, according to a tweet that Falcon Northwest published to its official X account today, one where the PC integrator says it hasn’t seen anything similar to what overclocker Roman Hartung (der8auer) had described as being “extremely concerning” in a video that he published to his YouTube channel yesterday (i.e., a GeForce RTX 5090 power cable overheating beyond 150 degrees Celsius).
“HUGE respect for @der8auer’s testing, but we’re not seeing anything like his setup’s results,” Falcon Northwest stated before sharing a set of thermal images, which can be seen below. “We tested many 5090 Founder’s builds with multiple PSU & cable types undergoing days of closed chassis burn-in. Temps (images in F) & amperages on all 12 wires are nominal.”
“No issues found on any setup. Multiple PSU types, multiple cable types, huge variety of system builds, and far too much imaging data to post here,” the company went on to tweet, noting that the figures in the image above are “all normal.”
News of NVIDIA’s latest flagship GPU for gamers, creators, and developers potentially not melting down comes a day after Hartung revealed that he had gotten his hands on that damaged GeForce RTX 5090 that had been making the rounds on reddit, including the PSU and power cable that was used, which the overclocker learned was severely damaged.
MODDIY, the company behind the cable, has published a new support page that warns GeForce RTX 50 Series owners against using its 12VHPWR cables (i.e., cables made before 2025) and to pair their Blackwell GPUs with its newer ones instead, which are “manufactured in accordance with the new 12V-2X6 specifications and standards.”
Here’s the full word from MODDIY, a company that describes itself as one that has specialized in manufacturing premium and custom computer cables and accessories for large corporations, computer enthusiasts, and gamers worldwide for over 13 years:
Upgrade to the Latest 12V-2X6 Cables for RTX50 Series GPUs
We are pleased to announce the release of our new 12V-2X6 cables, designed specifically for the recently launched RTX50 series GPUs. As of 2025, the industry standard has transitioned to 12V-2X6, replacing the previous 12VHPWR standard. Our new cables incorporate significant advancements, including enhanced terminal and connector housing materials, along with thicker wires, to provide an additional safety buffer for the latest GPUs.
At MODDIY, all 12VHPWR / 12V-2X6 cables purchased from 2025 onward are manufactured in accordance with the new 12V-2X6 specifications and standards, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance with the RTX50 series GPUs.
Prior to 2024, the RTX50 series GPUs had not yet been introduced, and the prevailing standard was 12VHPWR. All cables produced before this period were designed and tested for use with the RTX40 series GPUs.
We recommend that all users upgrade to the new 12V-2X6 cables to take full advantage of the enhanced safety and performance features offered by this new standard.
You can buy the new 12V-2X6 cable at ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 H++ 12V-2X6 675W 12VHPWR 16 Pin Power Cable.
How can I identify if my cable is 12VHPWR or 12V-2X6?
To determine the type of cable you have, consider the purchase date:
- If the cable was purchased on or before 2024, it is a 12VHPWR.
- If the cable was purchased in 2025 or later, it is a 12V-2X6.
Are there no changes in specifications between 12VHPWR and 12V-2X6?
Yes, 12VHPWR and 12V-2X6 are fully compatible, and there is no change in cable specifications. However, this does not imply that the cable cannot be improved or enhanced.
It is a misconception that a product cannot be enhanced, or a new product cannot be released unless there is a change in specifications. This is clearly not the case.
In the PC industry, every product is continually improving and evolving. New products are introduced regularly, offering better features, superior performance, enhanced durability, improved materials, and more attractive designs, regardless of specification changes.
Discussion (10 replies)
Join Discussion →It's great that MODDIY put out their statement but a very big detail was left out and something that has been spoken about in some threads and it too relates to the difference between 12VHPWR vs 12V-2x6 and that is ATX 3.0 vs ATX 3.1. Now I welcome our experts to chime in on this but I believe that 3.0 was 12VHPWR and swapping cables doesn't just upgrade it's sense pins.
Der8auer clearly indicated that an older ASUS Loki ATX 3.0 PSU was used with the melted cable so . . .
and that being said users with older PSUs upgrading their cable seems like an odd way to avoid this.
The only specification change with 12V 2x6 was on the PSU-side and GPU-side. The sense pins were shortened and the power pins were lengthened.
Cable specification did not change.
Why MODDIY is recommending people upgrade to what should be the 'same' cable seems suspicious. I mean they say it's specs are the same but they 'improved it'.
They could just say how it is improved. It's not like people can't just cut open the cables and compare them.
So here's another but the user admitted to mix matching cables as the likely cause. Yet another factor to take into account as reports of melting cables get posted.
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Saw that on my feed this morning but apparently the list is growing nonetheless.
[URL unfurl="true"]https://videocardz.com/newz/rtx-cablegate-update-first-rtx-5080-cable-melts-more-5090-cases-moddiy-changes-its-upgrade-recommendation-page[/URL]
From shunt resisters being used by AIB partners to statements by users in other forums about NVIDIA removing hardware present on the 3090/3090 Ti cards (which 1st introduced the 12VHPWR connector to NV's cards), there's more details coming out that the current RTX 50 Founders Edition cards could use improvements.
How does one mix things? So an old cable plugs into the updated socket but shouldnt?
Yeah, pretty much. Dumb move but could definitely happen.
So they changed the cable just enough so people can't use the one they already had? Awesome
They changed the plug on the card/PSU side, but they didn't change the cable. Which is the odd thing here.
So, in theory, having an old cable ~shouldn't~ matter. Provided it's actually at spec. And the spec is adequate (which is the part I and many others have been questioning all along).
Even looking at J2C's videos... if you're going with a new GEN 5000 series.. I would get a PS of the most current spec and make it a good one that supports the 3.1 power delivery. Those cables SEEM to be ok.
Just what I've gleamed from the cube so far. (Yea.. that old of a skater movie reference... sue me. )
I would agree, if you are going to drop that kind of money on a GPU, getting a brand spankin' new PSU to go with it is chump change and cheap insurance....