I'm working on my build and ran into a power cable issue. My power supply unit (PSU) only came with one dedicated cable for connecting to the GPU, which has an 8-pin connector. I also have this 12V dual 6-pin cable that splits into two 8-pin connectors. However, my motherboard requires three power cables in total — a CPU cable, an ATX cable, and a PCI-E cable. My GPU only needs one 8-pin PCI-E power cable. I'm wondering if it's possible to use the 12V dual 6-pin cable to power my GPU by plugging in just one of the 8-pin connectors, or will I have to get a new PCI-E cable from Corsair?
2 Answers
It's a bit odd that your motherboard is requesting a PCI-E cable since most GPUs just need that single 8-pin for power. I would suggest checking the manual closely to see if it's absolutely necessary or if you misread it. But yes, the dual 8-pin can work; just make sure that the cable you're using can deliver enough power. If it doesn’t work out, ordering an official PCI-E cable could be a safer bet.
If your GPU only needs one 8-pin PCI-E connector, using just one from the dual cable should be fine for now. Just keep an eye on the performance and temperatures. But if you want top performance and reliability, investing in a specific PCI-E cable is probably the way to go in the long run.
Definitely double-check the specs! If the manual is asking for a PCI-E cable, they might have specific requirements. It's always better to play it safe with power connections.