The GeForce RTX 5090 is no stranger to strange hardware mishaps, but the latest case from a PNY model is truly alarming: a capacitor violently exploded, bending part of the heatsink in the process. 
While melting 16-pin connectors have already given NVIDIA’s flagship plenty of bad press, this incident adds an entirely new layer of concern.
The story comes from a user who was editing video late at night when he suddenly heard what sounded like a firecracker go off. His PC went dark, smoke and sparks burst out of the case, and the smell of burnt electronics filled the room. Upon inspection, he discovered that a capacitor near the 16-pin power connector had blown apart, bending nearby heatsink fins. Photos showed the damage was not subtle.
Interestingly, the 16-pin connector itself was unharmed. The user was running a Super Flower Leadex III 1300W 80+ Gold PSU with the official 12VHPWR cable. That rules out the connector meltdown issue and instead points toward the capacitor itself – likely a poor-quality part or a soldering flaw on PNY’s side. Since NVIDIA only provides the GPU chip and memory modules, responsibility for such failures lies with the board partner.
Some enthusiasts have speculated the capacitor may have been placed too close to the heatsink, exposing it to unnecessary heat transfer that weakened it over time. Whatever the cause, a $2000+ premium GPU should not literally explode. The user did manage to secure an RMA, but the case raises uncomfortable questions about PNY’s quality assurance practices.
While connector melting remains the most common RTX 5090 issue, exploding components now join the growing list of nightmares. With multiple PNY designs sharing similar layouts, customers and industry watchers are urging the company to thoroughly investigate before more cases surface.
1 comment
reminds me of my old pny ti 4600 that cooked itself after 2 yrs