Question Should I worry about my GPU rail voltages? (Trying to prevent 4090 melt)

[Drevos]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out whether my 4090 is at risk. I've read many posts (mainly on Reddit) that talk about how the +12v rail voltage should never drop below 11.7v, as that would signal considerable resistance in the cable and precede a melting connector.

But there's a lot of conflicting information out there – some say it can go as low as 11.5; but most seem to agree that a constant drop below 11.8 is representative of some major issue. Unfortunately, my numbers seem to be in pretty bad shape if that's the case. Here are my figures:

GPU Rail Voltages (red) under load (Cyberpunk 2077)

Idle GPU Rail Voltages

I closed the game after only five minutes of testing as the voltages kept dropping and I got scared. I'm (deeply) worried these indicate a problem either with my cable or my PSU. Relevant parts:

PSU: Corsair HX1500i with the official Corsair premium 600W PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR cable
GPU: Gigabyte Gaming OC 4090 at stock clocks

I read on another post that some Corsair specs indicate that the voltage is fine even if it reaches 11.4v, but I haven't been able to corroborate this (no idea where to find that info on Corsair's official sites).

While I'm not facing seemingly major symptoms like constant black screens, I have experienced sporadic crashes in all my games – including Cyberpunk, Marvel's Spider-Man and Miles Morales, Dead Space Remake, a rare one in Crusader Kings III, one in Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Halo Infinite (on Xbox pass; all the others through Steam), etc. I've so far assumed these were software-related, as updates to drivers always change the conditions under which crashes occur (though they still occur).

What do you think? Do you know if there's anything to these voltage warnings? Should I stop using my PC until I find a replacement cable? Could it be that my PSU is faulty? Am I merely being paranoid and can keep playing on/using my PC as if nothing is wrong? Any advice would be massively appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

 

[white.a.drew]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out whether my 4090 is at risk. I've read many posts (mainly on Reddit) that talk about how the +12v rail voltage should never drop below 11.7v, as that would signal considerable resistance in the cable and precede a melting connector.

But there's a lot of conflicting information out there – some say it can go as low as 11.5; but most seem to agree that a constant drop below 11.8 is representative of some major issue. Unfortunately, my numbers seem to be in pretty bad shape if that's the case. Here are my figures:

GPU Rail Voltages (red) under load (Cyberpunk 2077)

Idle GPU Rail Voltages

I closed the game after only five minutes of testing as the voltages kept dropping and I got scared. I'm (deeply) worried these indicate a problem either with my cable or my PSU. Relevant parts:

PSU: Corsair HX1500i with the official Corsair premium 600W PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR cable
GPU: Gigabyte Gaming OC 4090 at stock clocks

I read on another post that some Corsair specs indicate that the voltage is fine even if it reaches 11.4v, but I haven't been able to corroborate this (no idea where to find that info on Corsair's official sites).

While I'm not facing seemingly major symptoms like constant black screens, I have experienced sporadic crashes in all my games – including Cyberpunk, Marvel's Spider-Man and Miles Morales, Dead Space Remake, a rare one in Crusader Kings III, one in Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Halo Infinite (on Xbox pass; all the others through Steam), etc. I've so far assumed these were software-related, as updates to drivers always change the conditions under which crashes occur (though they still occur).

What do you think? Do you know if there's anything to these voltage warnings? Should I stop using my PC until I find a replacement cable? Could it be that my PSU is faulty? Am I merely being paranoid and can keep playing on/using my PC as if nothing is wrong? Any advice would be massively appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

No your not Paranoid these cards are power hunger and improper volts will hurt the system, I would request an rma on the psu if the issue persist it could be a issue with the card itself.

 

[white.a.drew]

No your not Paranoid these cards are power hunger and improper volts will hurt the system, I would request an rma on the psu if the issue persist it could be a issue with the card itself.

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out whether my 4090 is at risk. I've read many posts (mainly on Reddit) that talk about how the +12v rail voltage should never drop below 11.7v, as that would signal considerable resistance in the cable and precede a melting connector.

But there's a lot of conflicting information out there – some say it can go as low as 11.5; but most seem to agree that a constant drop below 11.8 is representative of some major issue. Unfortunately, my numbers seem to be in pretty bad shape if that's the case. Here are my figures:

GPU Rail Voltages (red) under load (Cyberpunk 2077)

Idle GPU Rail Voltages

I closed the game after only five minutes of testing as the voltages kept dropping and I got scared. I'm (deeply) worried these indicate a problem either with my cable or my PSU. Relevant parts:

PSU: Corsair HX1500i with the official Corsair premium 600W PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR cable
GPU: Gigabyte Gaming OC 4090 at stock clocks

I read on another post that some Corsair specs indicate that the voltage is fine even if it reaches 11.4v, but I haven't been able to corroborate this (no idea where to find that info on Corsair's official sites).

While I'm not facing seemingly major symptoms like constant black screens, I have experienced sporadic crashes in all my games – including Cyberpunk, Marvel's Spider-Man and Miles Morales, Dead Space Remake, a rare one in Crusader Kings III, one in Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Halo Infinite (on Xbox pass; all the others through Steam), etc. I've so far assumed these were software-related, as updates to drivers always change the conditions under which crashes occur (though they still occur).

What do you think? Do you know if there's anything to these voltage warnings? Should I stop using my PC until I find a replacement cable? Could it be that my PSU is faulty? Am I merely being paranoid and can keep playing on/using my PC as if nothing is wrong? Any advice would be massively appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Have you checked for a bios update on the gpu itself

 

[white.a.drew]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out whether my 4090 is at risk. I've read many posts (mainly on Reddit) that talk about how the +12v rail voltage should never drop below 11.7v, as that would signal considerable resistance in the cable and precede a melting connector.

But there's a lot of conflicting information out there – some say it can go as low as 11.5; but most seem to agree that a constant drop below 11.8 is representative of some major issue. Unfortunately, my numbers seem to be in pretty bad shape if that's the case. Here are my figures:

GPU Rail Voltages (red) under load (Cyberpunk 2077)

Idle GPU Rail Voltages

I closed the game after only five minutes of testing as the voltages kept dropping and I got scared. I'm (deeply) worried these indicate a problem either with my cable or my PSU. Relevant parts:

PSU: Corsair HX1500i with the official Corsair premium 600W PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR cable
GPU: Gigabyte Gaming OC 4090 at stock clocks

I read on another post that some Corsair specs indicate that the voltage is fine even if it reaches 11.4v, but I haven't been able to corroborate this (no idea where to find that info on Corsair's official sites).

While I'm not facing seemingly major symptoms like constant black screens, I have experienced sporadic crashes in all my games – including Cyberpunk, Marvel's Spider-Man and Miles Morales, Dead Space Remake, a rare one in Crusader Kings III, one in Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Halo Infinite (on Xbox pass; all the others through Steam), etc. I've so far assumed these were software-related, as updates to drivers always change the conditions under which crashes occur (though they still occur).

What do you think? Do you know if there's anything to these voltage warnings? Should I stop using my PC until I find a replacement cable? Could it be that my PSU is faulty? Am I merely being paranoid and can keep playing on/using my PC as if nothing is wrong? Any advice would be massively appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

GeForce RTX™ 4090 GAMING OC 24G (rev. 1.0 / 1.1) Support | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE Global

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

Is this your card it looks like it has a new bios

 

[Drevos]

GeForce RTX™ 4090 GAMING OC 24G (rev. 1.0 / 1.1) Support | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE Global

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

Is this your card it looks like it has a new bios

Thanks! I already had the latest bios, so that doesn't seem to be the issue.

I tried with Nvidia's adapter to see if perhaps the Corsair cable was the issue, but it didn't make a big enough difference. The voltages did slightly improved, though. These are the main numbers after a 15-minute session in Cyberpunk with the adapter:

Sensor	Minimum value
GPU FBVDD Input Voltage	11.710v
GPU PCIe +12V Input Voltage	11.719v
GPU 16-pin HVPWR Voltage	11.717v

I then re-seated the GPU (just in case), as well as rerouted and reconnected Corsair's cable for further testing. The results were even worse than before, with just five minutes of playing:

Sensor	Minimum value
GPU FBVDD Input Voltage	11.632v
GPU PCIe +12V Input Voltage	11.707v
GPU 16-pin HVPWR Voltage	11.654v

I'm thinking of just getting another PSU with its own cable included and hopefully that'll do it. I'm looking at this one: RM1200x SHIFT 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply.

Before buying it, however, I'd like to find the exact specifications to see what the manufacturer claims the safe voltages are – but I just can't find them anywhere. I wouldn't want to get another PSU only to get similar results by design (could these numbers even be by design?).

 

[rabithole1234]

Thanks! I already had the latest bios, so that doesn't seem to be the issue.

I tried with Nvidia's adapter to see if perhaps the Corsair cable was the issue, but it didn't make a big enough difference. The voltages did slightly improved, though. These are the main numbers after a 15-minute session in Cyberpunk with the adapter:

Sensor	Minimum value
GPU FBVDD Input Voltage	11.710v
GPU PCIe +12V Input Voltage	11.719v
GPU 16-pin HVPWR Voltage	11.717v

I then re-seated the GPU (just in case), as well as rerouted and reconnected Corsair's cable for further testing. The results were even worse than before, with just five minutes of playing:

Sensor	Minimum value
GPU FBVDD Input Voltage	11.632v
GPU PCIe +12V Input Voltage	11.707v
GPU 16-pin HVPWR Voltage	11.654v

I'm thinking of just getting another PSU with its own cable included and hopefully that'll do it. I'm looking at this one: RM1200x SHIFT 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply.

Before buying it, however, I'd like to find the exact specifications to see what the manufacturer claims the safe voltages are – but I just can't find them anywhere. I wouldn't want to get another PSU only to get similar results by design (could these numbers even be by design?).

What did you end up doing with this card? I have a gigabyte 4090 as well and my voltages are somewhat similar. At idle I hover around 11.9 and in timespy I can see the 16 pin voltage drop down to 11.789v. I’m also using an hx1000i. Prior to that I used an rm850x and had the same voltages. Same voltage across multiple different 12vhpwr cables too. I came to the conclusion that it was just the card.

 

[Drevos]

What did you end up doing with this card? I have a gigabyte 4090 as well and my voltages are somewhat similar. At idle I hover around 11.9 and in timespy I can see the 16 pin voltage drop down to 11.789v. I’m also using an hx1000i. Prior to that I used an rm850x and had the same voltages. Same voltage across multiple different 12vhpwr cables too. I came to the conclusion that it was just the card.

I'm waiting for an RM1200x Shift to arrive to see if it makes a difference.

Interesting that you have similar voltages with the same card (is it the Gaming OC?). We have the same idle voltages, altough I'd be much happier with a minimum of 11.789v – 11.632v (and dropping) is too nerve-wracking for me.

I'd love to hear more about other Gigabyte card users to see if this is normal across the board. In the meantime, I'll let you know how it goes once I try the new cable and PSU on Wednesday.

 

[rabithole1234]

I'm waiting for an RM1200x Shift to arrive to see if it makes a difference.

Interesting that you have similar voltages with the same card (is it the Gaming OC?). We have the same idle voltages, altough I'd be much happier with a minimum of 11.789v – 11.632v (and dropping) is too nerve-wracking for me.

I'd love to hear more about other Gigabyte card users to see if this is normal across the board. In the meantime, I'll let you know how it goes once I try the new cable and PSU on Wednesday.

I have an AERO OC which is basically the gaming oc but white. There are some weird things going on with the voltages on my card, but all I can do at this point is continue keeping an eye on them and hope nothing bad happens.

There seems to be two different "modes" for voltage. For example, here's the first mode. My voltages never drop below 11.8v in this one.

If I shut down or sleep the system the range changes. In this mode my voltages start dropping below 11.8v.

Recently the 16 pin HVPWR Voltage reading has started dropping below 11.8v too. I checked my cable the other day and there were no signs of melting, but if it keeps dropping, I'm guessing I'll start experiencing some issues. Or maybe nothing will happen. Who knows.

Also another thing to consider: your maximum voltages aren't that high either. In fact, the droop on your card is about the same as mine, so hitting 11.6v might just be normal for you.

 

[The Guy From The Thing]

I have an AERO OC which is basically the gaming oc but white. There are some weird things going on with the voltages on my card, but all I can do at this point is continue keeping an eye on them and hope nothing bad happens.

There seems to be two different "modes" for voltage. For example, here's the first mode. My voltages never drop below 11.8v in this one.

If I shut down or sleep the system the range changes. In this mode my voltages start dropping below 11.8v.

Recently the 16 pin HVPWR Voltage reading has started dropping below 11.8v too. I checked my cable the other day and there were no signs of melting, but if it keeps dropping, I'm guessing I'll start experiencing some issues. Or maybe nothing will happen. Who knows.

Also another thing to consider: your maximum voltages aren't that high either. In fact, the droop on your card is about the same as mine, so hitting 11.6v might just be normal for you.

this like, a month old post so apologies but I wanted to ask on this topic with people who monitor their droops like this; I have an RTX 3070 and a Phanteks Revolt 1000w

my max PCIe +12v Input Voltage is typically 12.050, and under load once the GPU wattage exceeds 100w (or the GPU Voltage goes over 1v), I'll see the PCIe Voltage drop to 11.87-11.89v

lowest I've seen is 11.856v; is this droop bad for my card/PSU/normal voltages, if you can share?