Reddit user ivan6953 shared that while playing Battlefield 5 under a 500–520W load, they noticed a burning smell. Shutting down the PC immediately didn’t prevent the damage: both the 12V-2×6 connectors on the Asus ROG Loki SFX-L PSU and the RTX 5090 FE itself had melted. Notably, the Moddiy cable, certified for ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0, had worked flawlessly with the RTX 4090 FE for two years.
Photo analysis revealed that the PSU-side connectors are significantly thinner than those on the GPU, which may have led to localized overheating. Despite the user confirming proper installation—both connectors fully latched—this failure still occurred. This marks the first documented RTX 5090 FE meltdown, yet it has already sparked discussions about accessory compatibility.
NVIDIA introduced an upgraded 12V-2×6 adapter with a right-angle connector to reduce mechanical stress, but this case suggests the design change may not be enough. The incident highlights how even subtle connector differences between GPU generations can lead to critical failures. While the RTX 5090 remains a rare product, this case could prompt PSU and cable manufacturers to tighten compatibility standards for the latest power connectors.