Extreme degradation of 12V-2×6 power cables (hardening, cracking, and peeling of cable sleeving) is being experienced by RTX PRO 6000 users. The reliability concern is critical as it is causing the physical integrity issues for high-end workstation/gaming PCs using these specific connectors. GPU's that users spent their money on are at risk of damage if the root cause (heat) is not solved.
Uneven current distribution causes thermal stress on 12V-2×6 connectors
The focus of this concern is around the 12V-2×6 connector interface of the RTX PRO 6000 graphics card. Even at a low power limit of 500W on the GPU (far below the max power of 600W) users are seeing signs of melting on the cables. This shows that the total power usage is not the main cause for the excessive heat damaging the connectors.
- Power Limit: 500W
- Connector Type: 12V-2×6
- Cable Wire Gauge: 16AWG
- Pin Current Capacity: 6.94A
From technical analysis, it is observed that the unequal distribution of current across the pins on the connector is the culprit. Each pin in the 12V-2×6 connector is designed to carry only 6.94A of current, which is not enough to avoid local heat issues under load. The cable's wire gauge of 16AWG also fails to handle the amount of heat produced by the unequal load distribution.
Images of two GPU's (and their visible cable sleeving damage) are posted by Reddit user u/Doomslayer606 showcasing the problem. It has been suggested by the community that aftermarket cooling solutions such as Corsair ThermalProtect or Thermal Grizzly WireView Pro II can be used to reduce heat. We have been watching the RTX PRO 6000 closely – check out our previous article on ASRock PSU Cable Melts on $16,000.
The facts that are known/confirmed: There is thermal stress being induced on the 12V-2×6 connector for RTX PRO 6000 cables, irrespective of the power limits. Users need to watch out for the condition of cables and might want to use cable sleeves or custom power splitters to avoid further degradation.
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