There is no doubt the GeForce RTX 5090 is one of the best graphics cards and has the full potential to leverage DLSS 5. However, if you plan to hop on the DLSS 5 bandwagon, you may want to keep an eye on your graphics card’s temperatures and power consumption. According to tests by Korean outlet QuasarZone, the GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition peaked at nearly 650W in power draw, with the highest recorded temperature on the 16-pin (12VHPWR) power connector exceeding 90 degrees Celsius. Notably, that is higher than the standard temperatures measured for the GPU die.
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While less frequent, user reports of the 16-pin power connector melting are still popping up if you look around the Internet, particularly on Reddit. Even a couple of media outlets have also encountered power connector meltdowns during their use. So, it is not an issue that affects only new users; 16-pin power connector failures extend to seasoned industry veterans, too. There is no prejudice toward Nvidia’s Blackwell-powered graphics cards, either. Similar meltdowns have appeared on AMD Radeon graphics cards. Running DLSS 5 may just be adding fuel to the fire, figuratively.
QuasarZone ran Cyberpunk 2077 in a controlled environment at 27.5 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. The publication used a 4K (3840×2160) resolution with DLSS Quality and Ultra image settings and monitored the temperature of the 16-pin power connector. The media outlet tested the…
