Second case of 16-pin connector melting on Sapphire RX 9070 XT
A second incident of connector damage has affected the Sapphire RX 9070 XT Nitro+ graphics card, according to a Reddit user who posted images showing melted pins on a 16-pin power adapter. The top row of pins sustained severe damage, with minor effects visible on the bottom row. The affected user reported following the manufacturer’s guidelines by using the included adapter rather than alternative cables.
While the graphics card still powers on after the connector failure, it cannot maintain stable performance during gaming or web browsing. The display randomly goes black, requiring a full system restart through the power button. This marks the second reported case involving this particular Sapphire model, though only two RX 9070 XT variants use the 16-pin connector design: the Sapphire Nitro+ and ASRock Taichi editions.
The user operated a Cooler Master 850-watt power supply rated at 80 Plus Gold, which lacks a native 16-pin connection but provides adequate wattage for the card. A return merchandise authorization has been requested. The connector on the graphics card itself appears undamaged, with all melting confined to the adapter portion.
