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A Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 reportedly failed after only a few minutes in the game with a bang and a large cloud of smoke. The often criticized 16-pin power connector appears to have remained undamaged.
The title image is a symbolic image.
Why is the GPU starting to smoke? A user reports on Reddit that his Zotac RTX 5090 Solid suddenly made a loud bang while playing the new Black Flag Resynchronized. Shortly thereafter, crackling and a large cloud of smoke were visible.
Previously, the owner had probably installed the latest drivers. However, he could not play the new version of Black Flag for very long: According to his own statements, the graphics card failed after less than five minutes.
For a graphics card that costs around 3,000 euros or more, such a defect must be especially painful. Perhaps the loss can be managed if the user participates in the treasure hunt for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag where you can find €430,000 – albeit with a lot of effort, money, and luck.
Not the usual suspect?
Why should the 16-pin connector be innocent this time? After removal, the user checked the power connection of the graphics card. The 16-pin connector, which has consistently been criticized in previous issues with powerful Nvidia graphics cards, apparently showed no visible damage.
Instead, a burn mark could be seen on a small area of the circuit board. The user shared four photos of the damaged hardware on Reddit. A short circuit near a group of small capacitors in the sub is being discussed as a possible cause. Some users also suspect that the heavy graphics card could have warped due to its own weight, resulting in a crack in the circuit board.
The community is reacting to the defect with humor, but also expresses criticism of the design of modern high-end graphics cards and the power supply.
GrittyKnight writes: “Honestly, I played Black Flag, and the graphics card literally waved the white flag and exploded. What the hell?! Absolute immersion.”
xXZer0c0oLXx says: “I’m telling you, guys… these heavy cards need to be water-cooled and positioned vertically to ensure maximum survivability.”
And user Grind2Live is clear: “Melting connectors, exploding cards – what’s next? We need to sign a petition to get Ngreedia to change the connector.”
The exact cause has not yet been confirmed. More clarity is likely to come only from an investigation as part of the warranty process.
High-end graphics cards deliver enormous performance but also come with high costs, lots of waste heat, and increasingly complex requirements for power supply and installation. So perhaps it is better to put together a completely new set-up. A loyal PS5 fan claims at least that every time a new game is released, you need to buy a completely new computer.
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