A shocking hardware failure has been reported with the PNY GeForce RTX 5090 ARGB OC after one of its capacitors exploded during normal use. The incident occurred while the owner was editing a video late at night. With the GPU running at under 70°C, everything appeared stable until a sudden blast echoed from inside the case. Sparks flew, smoke filled the room, and the display instantly went black, leaving behind the unmistakable smell of burnt electronics.
On closer inspection, the damage was clear. A capacitor near the 16-pin power connector had violently ruptured, scattering debris and bending the heatsink fins next to it. The connector itself showed no damage, and the system was powered by a Super Flower Leadex III 1300W 80+ Gold PSU with its official 12VHPWR cable. The destructive force of the failure was strong enough to warp the metal surrounding the affected component.
This raises serious questions about the quality and reliability of PNY’s design choices for its flagship card. NVIDIA provides the GPU and memory chips, but board partners like PNY are responsible for selecting capacitors and ensuring the integrity of soldering and overall assembly. In this case, the failure could stem from a defective capacitor, poor manufacturing standards, or even excess heat transfer from the heatsink pushing the part beyond its limits.
Fortunately, the user was able to secure a successful RMA, but for a card that retails at more than $2,000, the incident highlights the risks of catastrophic component failure. While the 16-pin melting issue has been the most widely discussed flaw in the RTX 5090 lineup, this explosion underscores another vulnerability that buyers should be aware of. For enthusiasts investing in such high-end hardware, reliability is just as important as raw performance, and this case shows that even premium GPUs are not immune to serious defects.
