Someone captured footage of their RTX 5090 setting on fire after putting together a dream build
Table of Contents
A shocking incident has surfaced online after a PC builder captured footage of their RTX 5090 catching fire the moment their new system was powered on. The video, which appeared on Bilibili, shows open flames coming from the graphics card just seconds after startup, turning what was meant to be a dream build into a nightmare.
The user had reportedly just finished assembling a new PC and was turning it on for the first time. The build included an MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming Trio OC and a newly installed 1300W power supply. As a precaution, the user decided to record the first boot, a habit they picked up in case something went wrong. That decision ended up capturing a rare and alarming failure.
RTX 5090 catches fire on first system boot
As soon as the system was powered on, flames appeared from multiple areas of the graphics card. The user quickly shut the system down, but the damage was already done. The RTX 5090 was completely destroyed. Surprisingly, the rest of the system survived. While there were visible burn marks on nearby components, the PC itself was later confirmed to still be working. The user is now reportedly using an RTX 5060 instead, with no issues.
Latest tech deals.
- AMD Ryzen™ 9 9900X 12-Core - was $499 now $328
- CORSAIR 4000D PC Case - was $124.99 now $75.99
- Hisense 65" Class E6SR - was $549 now $377.99
- Apple 2026 MacBook Air - was $1,999 now $1,799
- Skytech Gaming PC Desktop (9850X3d) - was $4,299 now $3,799
- Apple Magic Mouse - was $79 now $59
- MSI Prestige 16 Flip - was $2,149 now $1,899
- Kotin 9700X Gaming PC - was $2,399 now $2,199
Prices correct as of October 9th, 2026.
What makes this incident even stranger is that the fire did not seem to originate from the usual failure point. The well-known 16-pin power connector melting issue did not occur this time. The power cables showed no signs of damage, and the power supply itself continued to work normally after the incident. This has led to speculation that the short circuit may have occurred in the VRM area, possibly involving the VRAM power delivery, which could explain why flames appeared in multiple locations at once.
Unfortunately, the situation is even worse for the owner due to regional restrictions. The RTX 5090 is officially banned in China due to U.S. export controls. Nvidia instead sells region-specific models like the RTX 5090D and RTX 5090D V2. Because of this, the user cannot apply for an RMA or warranty replacement, as the card was not purchased through authorized channels. With RTX 5090 prices reportedly reaching $4,000 or more, the financial loss is massive.
About the Author