RTX 5090 power connector hits 91°C with DLSS 5, total draw peaks at 647W

QuasarZone ran thermal tests on an RTX 5090 Founders Edition with DLSS 5 enabled in Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K Ultra, DLSS Quality preset. After 20 minutes, the 12V-2x6 power connector's sense-pin side hit 91.7°C. Total system power draw peaked at 647W, according to Videocardz.

That's 91.7°C on a connector rated for 90°C max continuous operation. The card itself ran within spec, but the plug is running hot—too hot for sustained gaming sessions. DLSS 5's multi-frame generation workload appears to be pushing the 5090 harder than prior-gen upscaling did, and the 12V-2x6 connector (the updated version of the 12VHPWR plug that melted on some RTX 4090 cards) is heating up again.

This lines up with scattered reports of melting connectors on RTX 5090 cards over the past few weeks. QuasarZone's test was controlled—proper seating, no bent pins—and still pushed thermal limits. If you're running a 5090, check your connector seating and consider a case with better airflow around the plug. Power spikes near 650W put real stress on the cable.

If you're weighing a 5090 upgrade or troubleshooting frame drops, run a fresh playbook to see if your current setup is thermal- or power-limited before spending four figures on a card that might cook its own plug.