Streamer Captures RTX 4090 Smoking Inside PC, Power Connector Under Fire

NVIDIA has stayed in the spotlight after confirming that its RTX 50 series strategy will focus mainly on midrange GPUs. The company has also released new security drivers for legacy graphics cards. However, a new incident suggests that some NVIDIA users still face serious hardware safety issues.

RTX 4090 smoke incident highlights ongoing 12VHPWR power risks

As spotted by VideoCardz, a video shared on X by streamer Jessick shows a graphics card emitting smoke inside a running PC. The footage captures a visible puff of smoke near the power connector area before the clip ends.

Based on the cooler shroud and board layout, the graphics card appears to be an MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming Trio model.

The power cable visible in the video does not appear to be a native PSU 16-pin cable. Instead, it looks like a white adapter, likely a bundled or third-party 12VHPWR adapter.

The RTX 4090 Gaming Trio uses a single 16-pin connector and carries a 450W board power rating. MSI recommends an 850W power supply for this model. The card relies on the older 12VHPWR connector standard, not the newer 12V-2×6 design NVIDIA later introduced.

The 12VHPWR connector family has a documented history of overheating and melting incidents. These failures have often been linked to incomplete insertion, cable strain, and poor contact at the plug. In 2022, NVIDIA acknowledged reports of burning and melting connectors, while independent testing later showed that loose connections can generate extreme heat very quickly.

The incident reinforces concerns that adapter cables increase risk, especially when combined with high-power GPUs like the RTX 4090.

If smoke appears from a PC, users should shut the system down immediately and unplug it. Before any reuse, the GPU, adapter, and PSU cables should be carefully inspected. The system should not be powered on again until safety checks confirm no damage.

In situations like this, an RMA or professional service inspection is the only sensible option. Warranty limitations, particularly for older GPUs, may complicate repair or replacement.

The timing is also unfavorable for buyers, with RTX 5070 Ti prices climbing rapidly. For many users, this limits upgrade options and makes safe, affordable choices harder to find.