I'm working on a build with a Ryzen 9 7950X3D and an RTX 5080 Astral. My HX1000i power supply came with two PCIe cables, both of which have piggy-tailed 6+2 connectors. However, the adapter for the 5080 requires three 6+2 pins. I've heard it's not safe to use piggy-tailed cables, so I'm considering whether I need to buy an additional 6+2 cable. Also, how much wattage can Corsair's Type 4 12vhpwr cables handle? Is it safe for me to just go with the 12vhpwr option?
2 Answers
If your PSU has a 12vhpwr port, that’s the way to go! Those adapters are mainly for older PSUs that don’t support the newer cables. Otherwise, yeah, you can use two cables and pigtail one, but be careful with that setup. It's prone to overheating.
Wait, you mentioned a 12vhpwr port? I thought all the connectors were PCIe on the PSU side.
Forget the pigtails – use a 12V-2X6 cable instead. The 12VHPWR ones have been known to overheat. You can find an example from Corsair that would work, check this link for the right cable: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/cp-8920348. It’s designed to handle things better without the melting issues!
So should I buy a separate cable kit for the PCIe to 12V-2X6? I’ve got two of those with 4 connectors piggy-tailed, but I’m not sure about that setup.
Yeah, pigtails can definitely melt if you're not careful, so keep an eye on that.