For NVIDIA’s GPUs, a 12V-2×6 adapter with monitoring and shunt resistors appears.
In the wake of persistent worries about thermal problems and power delivery flaws, a monitoring adapter prototype for NVIDIA’s troublesome 12VHPWR/12V-2×6 power connectors has emerged in Asian markets, possibly providing RTX 5090 users with a temporary fix. The circuit board of the prototype has +12V lines that are independently routed through shunt resistors. This allows for accurate current measurement across each power line while preserving the functionality of the ground and sense pins. The adapter has an apparent alarm feature that is intended to sound when there is an overload and the ability to check voltage. The board has a USB connector that allows users to output data to a custom display. Interestingly, the current design version seems to only concentrate on current distribution data, leaving out temperature monitoring capability.
These monitoring programs just identify the basic design flaws that are purportedly present in NVIDIA’s top-tier graphics cards; they do not fix them. Despite mounting consumer worries over connector safety and performance stability, NVIDIA has remained silent about the alleged heat problems and power supply irregularities plaguing their top GeForce RTX 5090 cards. The need for more transparency about power delivery characteristics, especially for cards running at severe power constraints, is demonstrated by the rise of third-party monitoring systems. The most power-hungry GPU is the RTX 5090, which has a 600 W factory power limit and is powered by a single 12V-2×6 connection interface.
