647W: Nvidia DLSS 5 Test Shows GPU Cable Running Hotter Than Chip

A power test tied to Nvidia's DLSS 5 pushed a graphics card's power draw to 647 watts, and the 16-pin power connector on the card ran hotter than the GPU die itself, according to a report from Tom's Hardware. For anyone shopping for a new GPU this fall, the finding matters because it points to the cable, not the chip, as the part most likely to feel the heat first.

What did the test find?

The outlet's headline framing is blunt: DLSS 5's AI upscaling work drove total board power to 647 watts, and thermal readings on the 16-pin connector came in higher than temperatures measured on the GPU die. That is the reverse of what most builders expect, since the chip is usually treated as the hottest point on a graphics card.

Why would a cable run hotter than the chip?

Nvidia's newer 16-pin connectors carry all of a high-end card's power through a small number of pins packed close together. When a card's real-world draw climbs toward the connector's rated limit, resistance at the pins and contact points can generate heat that has nowhere to go, unlike the GPU die, which sits under a dedicated cooler with a heat pipe and fan array built specifically to move heat away.

Is this the same connector that caused problems before?

The 16-pin design has drawn scrutiny in the PC hardware press before, generally centered on connectors not fully seated or cables bent too tightly near the plug. Tom's Hardware's report ties DLSS 5's higher sustained power draw to that same connector family, describing the situation as pushing the hardware to what it calls uncomfortable thermal and power limits.

Does this affect every graphics card, or just cards running DLSS 5?

The report ties the 647-watt figure specifically to DLSS 5 workloads, which use AI upscaling to boost frame rates. Higher frame rates generally mean the GPU is working harder and drawing more sustained power, which in turn pushes more current through the connector for longer stretches during a gaming session.

What should someone building or upgrading a PC do now?

The practical advice from hardware reviewers has stayed consistent: seat the connector fully, avoid sharp bends near the plug, and check the cable periodically on high-wattage cards. Builders dealing with thick, high-current cables around a desk also face a routing problem, not just a thermal one. HTT News' guide to desk cable routing covers how to keep power cables clear of tight bends and pinch points during a move or a rebuild, which lines up with the same seating and strain concerns raised in the DLSS 5 report.

Where does this leave buyers this week?

Nothing in the report indicates Nvidia has issued a recall or a fix. For now, the practical takeaway for anyone running a card with a 16-pin connector is to check the connection is fully seated and keep an eye on temperatures during long, graphically demanding sessions, especially with DLSS 5 enabled.