Nvidia’s new 16-pin connectors have been plagued by issues with overheating and melting, forcing third-party manufacturers to develop creative cooling solutions. The standard has been criticized for its vulnerability to high temperatures on power-hungry GPUs.
To combat this, Ezdiy-fab and Cablemod have designed adapters with copper PCBs, thermal pads, and aluminum heatsinks. These designs keep the voltage impedance low while ensuring cool operation. However, not all current 16-pin adapters take advantage of such cooling systems.
In contrast, angled 8-pin adapters with simple plastic shells show that cooling components are not always required. Cablemod had to recall its original V1.0 adapters due to temperature problems associated with the connectors loosening unintentionally.
The latest RTX 50-series GPUs have also raised concerns about melting issues when using previous-generation cables. The cable manufacturer clarified that only its 2025-made cables support the new standard.
It appears that the 16-pin standard’s design might be flawed, pushing it to its physical limits and causing connection seating issues. Some theories suggest improper load balancing between wires is also a contributing factor.
While Nvidia has not made any official statements on revising the connector design, third-party manufacturers are adapting to the current situation. It remains to be seen whether the new standard will remain as flawed as it currently stands.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/12vhpwr-adapters-sporting-heatsinks-and-thermal-pads-show-how-problematic-the-connector-is