NVIDIA Defends RTX 50 Failure, Blames Users

NVIDIA has found itself at the center of a scandal following controversial statements about the causes of RTX 50-series graphics card fires and the overall failed launch of the lineup. In an interview with the GameStar, NVIDIA's senior manager Lars Weinand attempted to justify the incidents by placing the blame on users — but his claims were harshly criticized by well-known overclocker Der8auer.

According to Weinand, all cases of melted 12VHPWR connectors were caused by the use of outdated power supplies or uncertified cables. The NVIDIA representative emphasized that no such issues had been recorded with the company’s adapters. However, Der8auer challenged this position, pointing out that most RTX 5090 owners use modern PSUs with native connectors, and there is public evidence showing that NVIDIA adapters have indeed been prone to deformation.

Weinand described the RTX 50-series launch as "very successful," citing sales volumes that exceeded those of the RTX 4000 over the same period. However, Der8auer exposed this as manipulation: in 2022, NVIDIA released only the RTX 4090 within the first five weeks, whereas in 2025, four models — including the RTX 5070 and 5080 — hit the market simultaneously. "Comparing the sales of four cards to one is misleading. That’s like measuring the speed of a truck against a bicycle," the overclocker quipped.

What sparked particular outrage was Weinand’s response to criticism about the modest increase in "pure" performance with the RTX 5000: "What is pure performance, and why does it matter?" Der8auer reminded him that the RTX 4090 delivered a 70% generational performance boost, whereas the RTX 5090 barely reaches 25%, masking the shortfall with AI-driven features like DLSS 4. NVIDIA may have buried Moore’s Law, but instead of breakthroughs, it’s offering users software crutches.

Der8auer’s analysis highlighted systemic problems at NVIDIA: a refusal to acknowledge design flaws, statistical manipulation, and disregard for user feedback. As long as the company continues to blame everyone but itself for these issues, the community's trust in its products will continue to erode.