Sapphire Rejects Warranty Claim for RX 9070 XT NITRO+ After Melted Adapter Incident

Sapphire has rejected a warranty claim for an RX 9070 XT NITRO+ graphics card following a report of a melted power adapter. The manufacturer returned the unit to the customer without repair or replacement, citing that the hardware itself remains functional. This decision highlights the ongoing reliability concerns surrounding the new 12V-2×6 power connector standard in high-performance GPUs.

Manufacturer returns functional GPU while citing adapter damage as user error

The incident centers on the specific power delivery interface used by the card. Sapphire ships the NITRO+ RX 9070 XT OC with a native 12V-2×6(H++) connector for direct power supply attachment. The user in question did not use this native cable but instead relied on a bundled blue-tipped 3×8-pin power adapter to connect the card.

Technical testing revealed that the graphics processing unit operated at a power draw of 280W during the evaluation. A technician ran the card for 48 hours to verify its stability and performance under load. The test confirmed that the GPU core and memory functioned correctly despite the external power cable failure.

The user asserts that only the third-party adapter sustained damage, leaving the graphics card intact. Sapphire instructed the owner to return the unit and use a native power supply cable for future operation. This pattern of melted connectors has been reported with this specific Sapphire model and adapter combination previously.

The warranty dispute underscores the risks of using non-native adapters with high-wattage graphics cards. Users must ensure their power supplies support the native 12V-2×6 standard to avoid potential hardware damage. Sapphire’s response prioritizes the integrity of the GPU over the replacement of the peripheral power cable.