A hot potato: Custom cable provider CableMod has announced a voluntary recall of its 12VHPWR angled adapters due to what it describes as the potential risk of the male connector coming loose, overheating, and melting into the GPU.
The recall applies to CableMod 12VHPWR 90-degree and 180-degree angled adapters (V1.0 and V1.1). Notably, this does not include the company's angled cables.
CableMod recommends anyone using their angled adapters to stop using them immediately. What's more, the company advises against touching an adapter while your system is running and suggests giving the machine time to cool down before handling.
The cable maker said it will be sending out an official notice – and full details on – the safety recall in the coming days. Those that have been affected by a failed V1.0 or V1.1 angled adapter can reach out to CableMod for help.
CableMod has been known to use repair shop NorthridgeFix to mend broken RTX 4090s. The firm receives roughly 100 RTX 4090s per month that have been damaged due to the 12VHPWR connector.
Nvidia launched its GeForce RTX 4090 in October 2022 at an MSRP of $1,599 and it didn't take long for issues to surface. Multiple groups including the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) and CableMod warned that the new 12VHPWR connector could get dangerously hot in certain situations but Nvidia was confident it had ironed out all the kinks before launch.
Related reading: New 12v specification could mean the end of melting RTX 4090 power connectors
Unfortunately, it is very much a real issue and one that appears to be much more common than initially reported. A few months after launch, Nvidia claimed the issue was the result of customers not fully plugging in the power connector.
CaseMod previously sold its 90-degree and 180-degree angled 12VHPWR adapters for $39.90 apiece.
Nvidia's RTX 4090 currently commands around $2,000 on average although if you're in the market for a high-end GPU, it'd probably be best to see what Nvidia's Super series looks like when it is announced at CES next month.