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AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT joins the GPU BBQ club

by on22 August 2025


16-pin connectors proving they’re a fire hazard

AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT has entered the melting connector hall of shame after a user on Reddit managed to cook their 16-pin power cable trying to run an ASRock Taichi OC model on a questionable PSU setup.

Savings_Opportunity3, found darkened pins on his adapter after swapping motherboards. A few hours later, the 16-pin connector went full toaster. This isn’t the usual 8-pin setup seen on most RX 9070 XTs either. ASRock and Sapphire have gone with the shiny new 16-pin 12V-2x6 power standard, which is apparently safer unless it isn’t.

The card ships with an adapter that converts three 8-pin cables into a single 16-pin. A solution that has already proven to be about as reliable as a wet paper bag when it comes to thermal integrity.

The Redditor noted it was his fourth time unplugging and replugging the thing and didn’t share whether all connectors were seated properly, which might explain why his rig started smouldering.

Powering the card was a 700W Kolink PSU, which doesn’t support the ATX 3.1 standard and is also below the 850W minimum ASRock recommends. So we’ve got three problems right out of the gate: a weak PSU, an adapter instead of a native 16-pin cable, and questionable installation.

Basically, it’s another reminder that 16-pin connectors are a pain in the arse. Unlike the older 8-pins, which clicked in nicely and mostly didn’t set your house on fire, these new ones require careful seating, compatible gear, and ideally a degree in electrical engineering to avoid disaster.

The good news, if there is any, is that the damage was limited to the adapter side. The Redditor has now upgraded to a proper ATX 3.1 PSU to avoid future barbecues. The RX 9070 XT does chew through more juice than an RTX 5080, so cutting corners on power is a fast-track to melted plastic.

For now, it seems the 16-pin curse is alive and well and AMD cards are not immune.

Last modified on 22 August 2025
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