I recently purchased a 4090 Founders Edition graphics card and a Cooler Master 850 MWE v2 power supply, which only has two PCIe cables. I'm wondering if I can safely use pigtailed connections for the remaining two connectors on the 4-pin to 12-pin adapter. I played Cyberpunk and noticed power usage over 400 watts, which concerns me since I want to avoid damaging my $3200 investment. I've researched this topic but haven't found clear answers. In the past, I used pigtailed connections on my previous GPU, a 5060 ti, without issues while pushing similar wattage. I just need to know if I'm risking damage or if I can get away with it without losing out on performance. I'm not planning on overclocking but might consider undervolting.
2 Answers
Definitely avoid using pig tails for the 4090. It's best to return your PSU and get one that includes a dedicated 12VHPWR cable. Most reports of burned-out 4090s and 5090s are linked to using pig tails or damaged cables. It's just not worth the risk!
Couldn’t I just grab an extra cable for my PSU instead and be good to go?
Also, I’d advise you to check if you’re bottlenecking your system. Make sure everything else is running smoothly before pushing that 4090 too hard!
So even with undervolting or managing power usage, I'm still risking damage? That’s a bit concerning.