A ZOTAC GeForce RTX 5090 SOLID graphics card reportedly failed during active gameplay, emitting smoke and a loud pop. The event is significant as it points to a possible reliability concern with the latest flagship graphics card, which may impact early adopters and builders of high-performance systems. The failure occurred just five minutes after launching Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, raising immediate questions about component stability under load.
Damage isolated to PCIe interface rather than power connector
The damaged unit is the ZOTAC GeForce RTX 5090 SOLID, a high-end graphics card designed for demanding gaming workloads. The user had recently installed NVIDIA's GeForce 610.74 driver, though no causal link between the software update and the hardware failure has been established. The system hosting the card ran on an MSI X870E Tomahawk motherboard, which may also be inspected for potential issues.
- Motherboard: MSI X870E Tomahawk
- Driver Version: GeForce 610.74
- Game: Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Visual evidence shows that the damage is concentrated near the card's PCIe interface rather than the power connector. This difference is notable because it separates the current failure from the more frequent problems associated with 16-pin or 12V-2×6 power connectors reported elsewhere. The 12V-2×6 power connector reportedly remained undamaged during the incident, suggesting the root cause lies elsewhere on the board.
The exact cause of the hardware failure remains unknown as no official investigation results have been provided. Community speculation points toward PCB flex or a shorted component as the likely culprit, but this remains unverified. Both the GPU and the motherboard are expected to undergo RMA assessment to determine the precise nature of the defect and prevent similar incidents.
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