RTX 4090 adapter experiences melting damage despite power limits

A user reported that an RTX 4090 12VHPWR adapter experienced melting damage despite the graphics card having its power draw manually limited to 80% of its maximum capacity.

The user, identified on Reddit as InteKontoEtt, noted that the issues began with sporadic black screens while audio continued to play. Upon inspection, visible damage and white marks were found on one of the connectors of the official Gigabyte-branded adapter.

While the RTX 4090 has a peak total graphics power (TGP) of 450W, the 80% limit reduced the draw to approximately 360W. The system utilized a 2021 Corsair RM1000x power supply, which required a four-way 8-pin to 16-pin adapter to connect to the GPU. The graphics card itself appears to have survived the incident, with the damage being confined to the adapter.