AMD zapped with 16-pin power connector melting issue for the first time — Radeon RX 9070 XT paired with sub-par PSU gets singed

The 16-pin (12VHPWR) power connector has experienced meltdowns on some of the best graphics cards. Nevertheless, these unfortunate incidents have predominantly been reported on Nvidia's graphics cards — until now. Reddit user Savings_Opportunity3 has reportedly documented what appears to be the first case of a 16-pin meltdown involving an AMD graphics card.

Not many mainstream AMD graphics cards use the 16-pin power connector. The Radeon RX 9070 XT, leading the AMD Radeon RX 9000-series, is a 304W card that comfortably relies on two standard 8-pin power connectors. Nonetheless, some AMD partners, such as ASRock and Sapphire, have adopted the 16-pin connector for some RDNA 4 models, possibly as a design choice or to differentiate themselves from the competition.

In the case of Savings_Opportunity3, the affected graphics card was a Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC, originating from ASRock's line-up. The same Redditor had posted on Reddit a month ago, asking for advice after noticing discoloration on a few pins inside the 16-pin power connector during a motherboard swap. Fortunately, only one pin from the 16-pin power cable appears to have melted, and the graphics card may have remained functional, as only one pin on the power connector appears darker than the others.

(Image credit: Reddit/Savings_Opportunity3)

(Image credit: Reddit/Savings_Opportunity3)

While ASRock doesn't disclose the TDP for the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi 16GB OC, the company does recommend users use a power supply with a minimum capacity of 850W. The official recommendation for a reference Radeon RX 9070 XT is a 750W unit; therefore, ASRock's version should pull somewhere between 340W and 360W under regular operation.

Savings_Opportunity3 didn't specify which power supply he was using, but admitted it was "cheap" and a Kolink 700W model, which is inferior to ASRock's and even AMD's recommended capacity. The user believed a 700W unit was sufficient for his build, which is centered around the Ryzen 7 5700X3D. The Redditor also reported experiencing an OCP event once while playing the open beta for Battlefield 6 before the meltdown.

The Kolink 700W power supply isn't an ATX 3.1 unit, so it does not have a native 16-pin power cable. The Redditor was utilizing the 16-pin to three 8-pin adapter included with the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi 16GB OC. Given the extent of the damage, which appears to be limited to a single pin, it's plausible that the connector wasn't plugged in correctly, considering the delicacy of the 16-pin power connector. However, it's hard to know for sure. In any event, Savings_Opportunity3 has ordered a Corsair RM850x power supply as a replacement, and we wish the user all the best.

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