Bad cable design isn't anything new. Anyone remember S-VIDEO cables, those things could get bent and become useless so easy, it was extremely frustrating. The PS2 had some third party cables which were very fiddly and would have bad connection...it happens. The important thing is the research has now been done, everyone knows to ensure a good connection to the card and hopefully PCI SIG will work to remedy the design in such a way as to make improper connection less likely.
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Bad cable design isn't anything new. Anyone remember S-VIDEO cables, those things could get bent and become useless so easy, it was extremely frustrating. The PS2 had some third party cables which were very fiddly and would have bad connection...it happens. The important thing is the research has now been done, everyone knows to ensure a good connection to the card and hopefully PCI SIG will work to remedy the design in such a way as to make improper connection less likely.
newtechldtech
Respectable
- Sep 21, 2022
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I totally Agree . such huge power delivery plug should at least have a security screws not just a simple "click"
newtechldtech
Respectable
- Sep 21, 2022
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Does not matter . The power plugs should be "dummy" safe . in the old times each cable even mouse cables had screws to ensure fully plug in. and for a $1600 card the powerplug should at least use screws that ensures full plug in.
It's not that simple. The contact area appears to be less than 1/2 of the size and the pins are closer. The potential of exceeding the maximum temperature of the plastic is probably 100X greater than with the old connector.
Properly designed this should work, but it is obvious that the underlying spec should be modified based on what we now know.
-- The maximum resistance per pin should be reduced. Existing contacts are available and are being shipped today that meet this requirement.
-- The spec on the plastic should be changed to allow higher temperature operation w/o damage with thermal properties that guarantee that heat can get away from the contact. This would probably require a tooling change to the connector housings.
-- The latch should be redesigned so it is obvious if the connector is not plugged in all the way. It could be a connector w/ 2 latches that fits on existing boards.
-- Future versions of the spec should be like USB where one pin is shorter that the others so it can be used as a sense pin indicating the connector is not properly inserted. USB-A connects power before data by doing this.
50 out of 125000 have failed. It is quite possible that 5000 have melted, but have not yet failed. For the sake of all, I hope this is not the case.
-Fran-
Glorious
- May 3, 2007
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It's about "ease of use". A bigger connector is just simpler to manage/use/handle. I did not meant that as "fragile", but I guess using the word "sturdy" would make you think that. It was not intended for that context, apologies.
As I said, making it "brute friendly" is always a plus and, in the case of high powered devices, a must perhaps? Most, if not all, high power connectors are bulky. I like that and has worked well for many generations; we should keep it that way until a breakthrough in plugs has been made (like the mag-safe).
Regards.
- Mar 16, 2013
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If car electrical systems were melting down in these numbers, there would be a nationwide recall.
Sleepy_Hollowed
Distinguished
- Jan 1, 2017
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If they’re not going to revision the design so it doesn’t happen, it’s a generational skip for me and my clients.
if they really need one, I’ll make sure they have home/renters insurance.
if they really need one, I’ll make sure they have home/renters insurance.
I like to use the term 'Idiot Resistant."
Back in the day when I was a young pup, we were having data integrity problems at a large department store. We traced it down to a store manager who was taking the 8 inch floppy disk used to hold store data, folding it in half and putting it in her purse. She asked: "If you can't fold it in half, why do you call it a "floppy disk" (True story)
- May 18, 2007
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With low force spring type contacts, all the contact surface area you get is the 2-3 highest points of each leaf spring: the highest point that takes the brunt of pressure, a second point for torque about the first point to rest on and possibly a third if there is enough force left to touch elsewhere. Making the contacts twice as big doesn't change that, just uses more metal and space.
I'll hazard a guess that a lot more than 0.05% of all cars manufactured require warranty service on something within the first year due to a manufacturing or material defect. Only issues that are a direct threat to safety (ex.: anything that is known to cause total loss of control or spontaneous combustion) get a recall, the rest gets handled through normal warranty.
- Mar 16, 2013
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Not simple warranty service.
Rather, spontaneous combustion due to faulty wiring with a cruise control.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/163-news101022-ford-cruise-control-switch-recall/
https://buffalonews.com/news/1-73-m...cle_433d04d8-8fdc-552d-a3d4-a6adf88f9e0f.html
- Jul 26, 2008
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As I've said so many times now, the words "consumer" and "potential fire hazard" get taken extremely seriously in the USA. nVidia is definitely going to have to do something about this problem.
- May 18, 2007
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If you do your own household electrical work and your house burns down, you are on your own. The same standard should apply here.
Fates_Demise
Distinguished
- Sep 28, 2015
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You need to educate yourself before making comments like that. 1) not only does the cable fully supply what a 4090 needs with zero issues, it supports even higher wattage. 2) the cable more than likely doesn't clip as securely as the old standard and some people that don't pay attention did not press it all the way in... like 50 total failures dude.
Do you drive a vehicle? Because I 100% promise you no matter what vehicle you drive they have had atleast 50 failures.
You don't want to use the cable then dont.. but quit pretending like it's a bigger issue than it is.
Fates_Demise
Distinguished
- Sep 28, 2015
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Friesiansam
Distinguished
- Feb 9, 2015
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The plug is keyed, so it must go in the right way round and, it has a latch. If somebody is too stupid to push the plug in until it latches, then they are too stupid to be fitting a graphics card without competent help.
There is no way to completely guard against stupid people...
If I ever spend as much as around £1500 on a graphics card, I'm going to be damned careful fitting it.
- Sep 4, 2007
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While this connector had me concerned from its inception due to the size of its pins, I have repaired a ton of computers over the years that were a direct result of someone not properly making a connection.
That said clearly a revision is needed. There is no need for this many failures even if most are user error. Despite the issues I started a mostly new build now with a RTX 4090, ATX 3.0 FSP 1200W PSU all powered by a Ryzen 7900x with 64GB if ram.
I bought parts on Amazon knowing I had tell January 31st to return them due to holiday shopping return times. This was weeks ago. Once I was convinced it wad ok... ie I saw Gamernexus's bit on finally melting a plug confirming my suspessions...I started to open my parts and begin my build. Though I am waiting now on a water block mounting kit missing from my included parts. Point being, early adoption is not without risks. Just do what you can to minimize your exsposure to it.
spongiemaster
Honorable
- Dec 12, 2019
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It's not really a fire hazard. There has not been a single report of damage greater than a melted connector. I have never heard of someone's computer catching on fire due to a melted cable connection. It's not like the Samsung battery issue where people carried the device on them for hours a day. There is no risk of bodily harm from this issue either.
Only 50, thats actually very impressive! If you were to give me a group of 125,000+ random people, I guarantee I could single out more than 50 that were too dumb to plug in a connector correctly, I'm thinking we should have atleast 0.5% (625), right??? At the same time I want to call BS on the "plugging in the connector incorrectly" claim from Nvidia, this sounds like a cop out and something more is at stake here; a few of the connector melting claims have come from credible and competent sources I wouldn't expect to not seat a connector correctly.
ahh, so you are comparing EVERY failure ( brakes, electical, etc ) in a specific model, vs 1 specific failure ( a turn signal not working due to a conection failing ) ?
not quite sure that is the same as this power connector, but ok sure
if the connectors for 5 cards failed, sure, id accept the user error reason, but with the amount that has failed, that just reeks of a bad connector design, and needs a redo
That's not the question to be asking. The question to ask is, "is it obvious when the latch is engaged or not engaged?" - if the answer is "no", then it's a design issue.
Red_Frog
Distinguished
- Nov 9, 2005
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No, there aren't.
That is a USB-C sized hole in a speaker grill. Yes, there is another just like it on the other side.
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