I'm currently using an RX 5700 XT with a 650W power supply, connected with a daisy-chained PCIe cable. I'm considering upgrading to an ASUS Dual Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB, which appears to require only one 8-pin power connector. Can I plug one 6+2 PCIe connector from the pigtail cable into the new graphics card and leave the additional connector unused, or would that cause any power problems?
2 Answers
Using separate PCIe cables is preferable when a graphics card needs multiple power connectors, but it is not relevant when the new card only requires one 8-pin connection. Just combine the 6+2 section into an 8-pin plug and connect that to the GPU. Make sure the cable is labeled PCIe/VGA rather than CPU/EPS.
If that ASUS model only needs a single 8-pin connector, you can use one 6+2 connector from the PCIe cable and leave the extra pigtail connector unplugged. The unused connector does not draw power or affect the card; it is simply there for GPUs that need additional connectors. A 650W supply should generally be adequate for an RX 9060 XT, assuming it is a decent-quality unit and is otherwise in good condition.
That clears it up—my main concern was whether the unused connector on the pigtail would somehow keep pulling power. I’ll use the single 8-pin connector and leave the other one unplugged.