PCI-SIG Wants It Partners To Ensure Utmost User-Safety For The 16-Pin 12VHPWR Cable Standard
The 12VHPWR 16-Pin cable saw various issues since its introduction on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card. We saw multiple cases of cables and connectors melting up but experts and NVIDIA itself concluded that the problem occurred due to an improper connection caused solely due to user error. Last month, NVIDIA was hit by a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit can be seen filed over at Justia and was filed at the California Federal court on 11 November 2022. The user states: Now PCI-SIG has come forward to address the whole situation with their first official response. In an email sent to us, PCI-SIG states that its members are responsible for the design, manufacturing, and testing, including safety testing, of their products that utilize the 16-Pin 12VHPWR specification. The full statement is listed below: We previously sent an email notifying you that one manufacturer has reported to PCI-SIG potential safety issues with its use of the 12VHPWR connection. Further to that, we have been informed of a recent lawsuit: Genova v. Nvidia Corporation, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California case No. 5:22-cv-07090. The lawsuit alleges, in part, that 12VHPWR cable plugs experienced “melting … posing a serious electrical and fire hazard”. PCI-SIG wishes to impress upon all Members that manufacture, market or sell PCI-SIG technologies (including 12VHPWR connections) of the need to take all appropriate and prudent measures to ensure end user safety, including testing for the reported problem cases involving consumers as alleged in the above-referenced lawsuit. Members are reminded that PCI-SIG specifications provide necessary technical information for interoperability and do not attempt to address proper design, manufacturing methods, materials, safety testing, safety tolerances or workmanship. When implementing a PCI-SIG specification, Members are responsible for the design, manufacturing, and testing, including safety testing, of their products. via PCI-SIG We have a small but useful (and effective) guide for how to install the 16-Pin 12VHPWR connector if you are getting an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 graphics card. We expect other partners to follow up with their own statements soon.
