As for the famous 12V-2×6 connector, it’s true that you’ll need to keep an eye on the connection, to make sure it’s properly inserted. However, there’s another factor to take into account: age. A Spanish videographer had the unpleasant surprise of finding his power cable melted… But on the power supply side. Fortunately, his RTX 5090 was spared!
12V-2×6: beware of obsolescence!
As if problems with poor connections weren’t enough, you also need to pay attention to the age of your power cable. Spanish YouTuber Toro Tocho had the unpleasant surprise of seeing the connector melted… on the power supply side.
While problems with melted connectors are legion, the most worrying thing in this case is that he didn’t notice a thing. He says he only identified the problem when he was about to change cards for testing. That’s when he saw the melted connector on his power supply. In his case, the PC was working properly, and he didn’t smell any burning or melted plastic either. Imagine if he’d plugged in another card and applied a heavy load..
Furthermore, he indicates that the problem stems from a poor connection… Not that he connected the cable incorrectly, but that it’s starting to get old. Yes, when it comes to testing hardware, you use the same equipment over and over again, you don’t change everything between two tests. So, in a year of use, this one must have seen a lot of plugging and unplugging. Myself, I can’t count the number of times I’ve plugged and unplugged components for my tests. So imagine a connector as sensitive as a 12V-2×6.
After all, the connector is subjected to mechanical stress through repeated use. With repeated use, the various parts of the connector start to play with each other, and the connection is no longer as effective. The result is a problem of overheating, which leads to the result we’re all familiar with. So if you’re the kind of person who puts his or her hands in your PC all the time, consider changing cables from time to time.
