AMD Encountering 16-pin Power Connector Melting Problem for First Time - Inadequate Power Supply Unit Burns Radeon RX 9070 XT Graphics Card

In a recent development, Reddit user Savings_Opportunity3 has documented the first reported case of a 16-pin power connector meltdown on an AMD graphics card. The affected graphics card in this case was a Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC, originating from ASRock's line-up.

The incident occurred while playing the open beta for Battlefield 6. Prior to the meltdown, Savings_Opportunity3 experienced an OCP event, indicating a power supply issue. Interestingly, only one pin from the 16-pin power cable appears to have melted, suggesting potential issues with the connector not being plugged in correctly.

Savings_Opportunity3's build is centred around the Ryzen 7 5700X3D processor. The Redditor had been using a Kolink 700W power supply, which is inferior to ASRock's and even AMD's recommended capacity for the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi 16GB OC. This may have contributed to the power supply issue.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT, leading the AMD Radeon RX 9000-series, is a 304W card that uses two standard 8-pin power connectors. However, ASRock's version of the card comes with a 16-pin power connector, and Savings_Opportunity3 utilized the 16-pin to three 8-pin adapter included with the card.

ASRock recommends users use a power supply with a minimum capacity of 850W for the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi 16GB OC. The official recommendation for a reference Radeon RX 9070 XT is a 750W unit, suggesting that ASRock's version should pull somewhere between 340W and 360W under regular operation.

In response to the incident, Savings_Opportunity3 has ordered a Corsair RM850x power supply as a replacement for the damaged one. The 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.

It is worth noting that meltdown incidents have primarily been reported on Nvidia's graphics cards. However, this recent case involving an AMD graphics card serves as a reminder for users to ensure they are using a power supply that meets the recommended specifications for their hardware. Some AMD partners, such as ASRock and Sapphire, have adopted the 16-pin connector for some RDNA 4 models.

This case study provides valuable insights into the importance of using a suitable power supply for high-performance graphics cards. It underscores the need for caution and proper maintenance to avoid such incidents in the future.