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https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33373729 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33373729 details about the problematic 12VHPWR adapter shipped by nVidia, wit

by terom 4y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33373729 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33373729 details about the problematic 12VHPWR adapter shipped by nVidia, with extremely questionable engineering (14AWG wires soldered to thin tabs), which should absolutely be recalled as a fire hazard. I believe it is entirely possible to implement a solid and safe 12VHPWR connector, and its reputation is being destroyed by a shoddy implementation... but that's very much nVidia shooting themselves in the foot.

echelon 4y ago
Maybe they shouldn't have pissed off EVGA? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32870677 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32870677
- Kognito 4y ago
  What does this have to do with EVGA?
  - raisin_churn 4y ago
    Maybe nothing, maybe EVGA, with their reputation for quality and sound engineering, would have looked at the garbage adapter cable Nvidia shipped to board partners and said "Hell no, we're not shipping that to customers" and sounded the alarm on it before thousands of these got into people's homes and offices where they may yet kill someone. I don't personally like EVGA, had a bad experience trying (and failing) to get warranty replacement for a defective PSU, but I can certainly follow GP's thinking about how EVGA's involvement with this launch might have made a difference.
    - echelon 4y ago
      That was my thinking. I'm sure Nvidia will get it sorted in time, but they're trying to do a lot right now, and it's noticeably bumpy.
incrudible 4y ago
NVIDIA is a huge company, if they can not manufacture a safe (and durable) 12VHPWR connector, then the PCI SIG design is bad and should be recalled. The design should be such that it would be difficult even for a shoddy manufacturer to create a fire hazard.
- spookie 4y ago
  Come on now... The parent even included a link detailing it's Nvidia's fault. And that other manufacturers have done a better job.
  - stingraycharles 4y ago
    Exactly, most likely some amount of bureaucracy / subcontractor / cost-cutting yielded this subpar connector. The linked article gives very good insights in what’s going on.
  - incrudible 4y ago
    I'm not saying it's not NVIDIA's fault, but that the spec has been setting companies up for failure, and it's not just NVIDIA who had these cables fail. Rather NVIDIA is the only company actually shipping these cables at scale into the real world to see the extent of the damage.
- Tsiklon 4y ago
  There’s power supplies from reputable manufacturers which ship this cable and they do this connector correctly. Unfortunately NVidia has really screwed the pooch with this as this dangerous adaptor is the first encounter most people will have with the 12VHPWR form factor
  - incrudible 4y ago
    Perhaps so, but these power supplies are few and far between, so we'll have to see about how these actually perform in the long run. However, you're missing the point. The spec should be designed such that even "non-reputable" manufacturers with sloppier manufacturing methods wouldn't create a fire hazard. These connectors are extra-delicate even though they're supposed to carry higher loads. They will be less robust in practice, for very little gain. That's a poor tradeoff, which makes it poor design.

by terom 4y ago

echelon 4y ago

Maybe they shouldn't have pissed off EVGA? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32870677 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32870677

Kognito 4y ago
What does this have to do with EVGA?
- raisin_churn 4y ago
  Maybe nothing, maybe EVGA, with their reputation for quality and sound engineering, would have looked at the garbage adapter cable Nvidia shipped to board partners and said "Hell no, we're not shipping that to customers" and sounded the alarm on it before thousands of these got into people's homes and offices where they may yet kill someone. I don't personally like EVGA, had a bad experience trying (and failing) to get warranty replacement for a defective PSU, but I can certainly follow GP's thinking about how EVGA's involvement with this launch might have made a difference.
  - echelon 4y ago
    That was my thinking. I'm sure Nvidia will get it sorted in time, but they're trying to do a lot right now, and it's noticeably bumpy.

incrudible 4y ago

NVIDIA is a huge company, if they can not manufacture a safe (and durable) 12VHPWR connector, then the PCI SIG design is bad and should be recalled. The design should be such that it would be difficult even for a shoddy manufacturer to create a fire hazard.

spookie 4y ago
Come on now... The parent even included a link detailing it's Nvidia's fault. And that other manufacturers have done a better job.
- stingraycharles 4y ago
  Exactly, most likely some amount of bureaucracy / subcontractor / cost-cutting yielded this subpar connector. The linked article gives very good insights in what’s going on.
- incrudible 4y ago
  I'm not saying it's not NVIDIA's fault, but that the spec has been setting companies up for failure, and it's not just NVIDIA who had these cables fail. Rather NVIDIA is the only company actually shipping these cables at scale into the real world to see the extent of the damage.
Tsiklon 4y ago
There’s power supplies from reputable manufacturers which ship this cable and they do this connector correctly. Unfortunately NVidia has really screwed the pooch with this as this dangerous adaptor is the first encounter most people will have with the 12VHPWR form factor
- incrudible 4y ago
  Perhaps so, but these power supplies are few and far between, so we'll have to see about how these actually perform in the long run. However, you're missing the point. The spec should be designed such that even "non-reputable" manufacturers with sloppier manufacturing methods wouldn't create a fire hazard. These connectors are extra-delicate even though they're supposed to carry higher loads. They will be less robust in practice, for very little gain. That's a poor tradeoff, which makes it poor design.