ASUS introduced the ROG Equalizer as a specialized 12V-2x6 power cable designed to improve current distribution between power supplies and high-performance graphics cards. The product was developed to address concerns surrounding uneven load balancing across connector pins, a topic that has remained under scrutiny since the introduction of the 12VHPWR and later 12V-2x6 standards. Now, a user report originating from the Chinese Chiphell forum has surfaced showing what appears to be an ROG Equalizer cable with visible thermal damage on several connector contacts. According to reports shared by hardware news outlets and social media accounts, the original forum thread has since been removed, leaving only images of the damaged connector available for review. The photographs appear to show burn marks affecting three contact points within the connector. However, no technical details accompanied the images. Information regarding the graphics card, power supply, system configuration, workload, operating duration, or installation method remains unavailable. Without those details, it is impossible to determine whether the damage was caused by connector resistance, installation issues, abnormal power loading, manufacturing defects, or another factor entirely.

The incident has attracted attention because the ROG Equalizer was specifically marketed as a solution designed to improve current balancing. ASUS states that the cable employs conductors rated for substantially higher current capacity than conventional implementations. The design objective is to distribute electrical load more evenly across the connector, reducing localized hotspots and potentially lowering operating temperatures. Questions regarding the cable's effectiveness had already emerged following testing performed by overclocker Roman Hartung, better known as der8auer. During his evaluation, current distribution across the cable was found to vary by as much as 4 amps between individual conductors. The imbalance was significant enough to trigger warnings on monitoring equipment. After modifying the cable, Hartung reported improved balancing characteristics, reducing the variance to approximately 1.5 amps. While those findings did not indicate a safety issue, they suggested that the cable's balancing performance in factory configuration did not fully align with expectations. The newly surfaced user report has therefore renewed discussion regarding power distribution and connector reliability in high-power graphics card systems. At present, the reported damage appears to be an isolated case. There is no evidence of a broader failure pattern, and the absence of technical details prevents meaningful conclusions from being drawn. ASUS has not issued an official statement regarding the reported incident.

Source: Chiphell / Uniko's Hardware