Expert advises against RTX 5090 FE. Shows how easy it is to mess up a graphics card

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So, I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about broken RTX 5090s, and it usually boils down to a melted power connector. But this one’s different. Apparently, someone was trying to install a water cooling system on their card, and it didn’t go so well. Now they’re stuck with a damaged graphics card, and an expert told me it’s tough to even find replacement parts to fix it. It’s a bummer, honestly.

The RTX 5090 FE is almost impossible to repair

A recent video on the NorthridgeFix channel highlighted problems with the design of the RTX 5090 Founders Edition graphics card. The core of the issue is how the card is built: it has a main circuit board with all the components, and a separate board that handles the PCIe connection. These two parts are only connected by a single connector, which is causing problems.

A gamer ran into trouble after upgrading from the standard cooling system to liquid cooling. When he reconnected everything, the graphics card wouldn’t work. NorthridgeFix looked into the problem and found that the user had accidentally damaged the connector that links the card to the computer during the upgrade process.

The graphics card isn’t working right now because a key part with damaged pins can’t be replaced. NorthridgeFix pointed out this problem with the RTX 5090 Founders Edition’s design – splitting the card into many pieces makes it more likely something will break, as happened in this case. Until a replacement part is found, the card remains unusable.

This situation shows how carefully you need to handle expensive electronics, particularly those costing more than $2,500. NorthridgeFix doesn’t recommend buying the RTX 5090 Founders Edition because its design makes it fragile and easily damaged. If you already own one, it’s best not to take it apart or modify it, as you could easily break delicate components like the pins.

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2025-10-27 16:03