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New mVolt+ Tool Unlocks Hidden Power Controls, Pushing RTX 5090 to 700W Without Shunt Mods

2 outlets8/25/2026

The short version

An update to the mVolt+ overclocking tool has exposed low-level power and voltage controls on NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPUs, letting enthusiasts push an RTX 5090 to 700W and an RTX 5080 to 680W without shunt modding or vBIOS flashing, raising fresh concerns about the 12V-2x6 power connector.

via TechPowerUp

A new version of the mVolt+ overclocking tool, v0.36, has reportedly unlocked hidden power and voltage management features on NVIDIA's RTX 50-series (Blackwell) GPUs. According to Wccftech, the update exposes low-level controls including Core and Memory channel power limits, GPU clock ranges, and voltage-demand offsets for the Core, XBAR, SYS, and Video domains, allowing overclockers to bypass stock power limits without the traditional shunt mod or a modified vBIOS.

On Reddit, user u/SyncFail_ reported pushing an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 to a total power draw of 700W using mVolt+ v0.36, according to both TechPowerUp and Wccftech. That figure is well above the card's stock TDP of 575W — TechPowerUp calculates the increase at 125W, while Wccftech describes it as nearly 50% higher than the rated TDP. TechPowerUp reported that this run scored 16,523 points in 3DMark Steel Nomad, with the GPU clock reaching 3,127 MHz, some 720 MHz above the reference design's 2,407 MHz boost clock. Wccftech noted a separate user also reached 700W, running around 3.2 GHz core with a 2.8 GHz XBAR clock, up from a previous best of 3.0 GHz achieved with MSI Afterburner.

Other users reported more modest gains: Wccftech cited reports of enthusiasts reaching 600-650W on RTX 5090 cards, and noted that an RTX 5060 Ti reportedly gained only 20W from the new Core Power Limit setting, indicating results vary significantly between cards.

On the RTX 5080 side, a user testing an ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC reported reaching 680W total power draw, up from a stock TDP of 400W, according to both outlets. TechPowerUp noted that ASUS's official tool can raise that TDP to 450W, and that no shunt mod was used in this case. With the increased power limit, the ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC showed a clock speed of 3,390 MHz in FurMark's burn test, compared to 2,760 MHz with no overclock applied.

Wccftech explained that mVolt+ differs from conventional overclocking utilities because it doesn't simply raise the power-limit slider; instead, it exposes an additional internal power constraint via the new Core Power Limit setting. Once that restriction is raised, the GPU can continue drawing power beyond the limit set in its vBIOS until another constraint becomes the bottleneck.

Both outlets noted that these already-high default TDPs, and now the further increases enabled by mVolt+, have raised concerns about the 12V-2x6 power connector. TechPowerUp reported that comments on the overclocking results expressed concern about fire hazards, noting that the cable has reportedly struggled to remain intact even at stock clock speeds and power draw. Wccftech added that it remains unclear whether the GPUs will operate safely over a longer period at these elevated power levels.

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RTX 50-Series Power Connector Overclocking Concerns

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