Need RTX 4090 repair advice

My RTX 4090 power connector has burned and melted onto the 12vhpwr plug. I need recommendations on what to do here.

The GPU posts and boots to windows. It immediately crashes as soon as I attempt to start a game of any sort. The CPU still appears to be processing, but there is no image. My conclusion is that the GPU still works.

What do I do now? It’s out of warranty, and I either need to have it repaired or sell it. Any recommendations?

Maybe that youtube guy at northwestrepair?

I'm thinking if you look around there are repair services for changing that connector. Compared to a lot of the fixes the northwest guy does, changing one of these connectors is relatively easy. Something like this could even be DIY if one has the tools and soldering skills, and one can source the replacement connector.

ETA: Here he is removing and replacing one: How to replace a 12vhpwr GPU connector

TXE36 said:

Maybe that youtube guy at northwestrepair?

I'm thinking if you look around there are repair services for changing that connector. Compared to a lot of the fixes the northwest guy does, changing one of these connectors is relatively easy. Something like this could even be DIY if one has the tools and soldering skills, and one can source the replacement connector.

Click to expand...

If you send it out send it to someone who can definitely fix it. You're going to pay thru the nose either way just do it right the first time.

LigTasm said:

If you send it out send it to someone who can definitely fix it. You're going to pay thru the nose either way just do it right the first time.

Click to expand...

If one is reasonably handy, the tool cost here isn't that high. I added a video link to my post. He is using about $120 worth of tools, maybe a bit more. Probably less than the cost of paying someone to fix it.

The key thing is, as stated in the video, patience. The next key thing is flux. When soldering, flux is magical.

As long as you have the tools and some understanding, you can do it.

TXE36 said:

If one is reasonably handy, the tool cost here isn't that high. I added a video link to my post. He is using about $120 worth of tools, maybe a bit more. Probably less than the cost of paying someone to fix it.

The key thing is, as stated in the video, patience. The next key thing is flux. When soldering, flux is magical.

Click to expand...

These cards have extremely thick PCBs that wick a lot of heat. If you don't have a preheater and hot air you're way more likely to make a mess of it. Just saying.

madpistol said:

View attachment 826788

My RTX 4090 power connector has burned and melted onto the 12vhpwr plug. I need recommendations on what to do here.

The GPU posts and boots to windows. It immediately crashes as soon as I attempt to start a game of any sort. The CPU still appears to be processing, but there is no image. My conclusion is that the GPU still works.

What do I do now? It’s out of warranty, and I either need to have it repaired or sell it. Any recommendations?

Click to expand...

Same thing happened to my RTX 4090
first stop using your GPU.
Replace your PSU
and take your vid card to an expert technician to change the power connector and to check if there is further damage

Also, get a WireView 2

LigTasm said:

These cards have extremely thick PCBs that wick a lot of heat. If you don't have a preheater and hot air you're way more likely to make a mess of it. Just saying.

Click to expand...

One would have to be handy and follow the instructions to the letter. There are many ways to screw this up. It looks like the Northwest guy got away with using hot air as a preheater then when at it with a big soldering iron and a lot of flux. He also used low melt solder.

This is not a beginner's soldering project, but given the track record of 4090s and 5090s, I have a feeling that in the next few years lots of people are going to get good at this.

OP, watch the video. If you understand all of it, and think you can do it, go for it. Don't short any of the tools, don't crank up the temp, and have patience. If things are not working well, stop. Otherwise, just pay a guy to fix it.

Do you see a windows desktop? If so, it's likely the card is good. Crashes on starting a game could be due to the damaged connector.

I wouldn't attempt to repair this myself. I just have no experience fixing vid cards, and I wouldn't start with a 4090.

I'd have a look at the PCB. One reason connectors melt is uneven current distribution. So... see any PCB damage? It's possible the PCB could fail first, effectively disconnect one or more lines, then the others get overloaded and melt the connector. On a good day this isn't the cause, but it's something to check for before sending the card out for repair.

Hopefully it's just a melted connector that can be replaced along with doing whatever else you can to keep the problem from recurring. If that's the case it should be fixable. But there's always that chance the board is damaged.

Even a damaged board isn't a total death sentence. I keep seeing these articles about Chinese companies desoldering chips from 4090s, 5090s, etc. and mounting them on a new board with more vram. Lately they've even been doing it to 3080s to make better gaming cards. 3080 20GB. Of course that would be more $ than just having a repair shop just replace the connector. Still, given current prices it'd likely be worth the cost. 4090 is the second fastest card and 5090s are nearly sold out and ~$5k if you find one due to companies buying them by the pallet for AI.

leSLIe said:

Same thing happened to my RTX 4090
first stop using your GPU.
Replace your PSU
and take your vid card to an expert technician to change the power connector and to check if there is further damage

Also, get a WireView 2

Click to expand...

The PSU is only about a year old. It’s a Corsair HX1000i with ATX 3.1 support. Do I still need to send it in for repair?

It likely still works. A repair will likely cost you at least $120, not including shipping. Maybe as high as $200. You can always try that, and if not, you can always sell for parts. I see a lot of graphics cards sold for parts on eBay.

madpistol said:

The PSU is only about a year old. It’s a Corsair HX1000i with ATX 3.1 support. Do I still need to send it in for repair?

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The gpu needs repair
The PSU not necessarily, but it has to be checked to be sure. You dont want to gamble the life of your expensive GPU, right?

Me being paranoic, i just replaced my psu to a new bigger one. But thats just me

madpistol said:

The PSU is only about a year old. It’s a Corsair HX1000i with ATX 3.1 support. Do I still need to send it in for repair?

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The PSU itself is likely fine, but you will have to replace that burned up cable/connector.

I sent off the GPU to ZapFixers in Florida. They got glowing reviews and pricing seems reasonable considering that the 4090 is now around $3K (!!!) on eBay. How the heck did the RTX 4090 become a long term investment… 10 years ago, we would have just gotten a new GPU. Now, it’s much cheaper to just repair it.

I’ll keep you updated!

madpistol said:

I sent off the GPU to ZapFixers in Florida. They got glowing reviews and pricing seems reasonable considering that the 4090 is now around $3K (!!!) on eBay. How the heck did the RTX 4090 become a long term investment… 10 years ago, we would have just gotten a new GPU. Now, it’s much cheaper to just repair it.

Click to expand...

Because Claude is a hungry, hungry boy that eats all the GPUs and memory.

madpistol said:

I sent off the GPU to ZapFixers in Florida. They got glowing reviews and pricing seems reasonable considering that the 4090 is now around $3K (!!!) on eBay. How the heck did the RTX 4090 become a long term investment… 10 years ago, we would have just gotten a new GPU. Now, it’s much cheaper to just repair it.

I’ll keep you updated!

Click to expand...

Out of curiosity how much did they quote you to fix?