I bought a used prebuilt gaming PC a while back, and it's been great, but it only came with two 6+2 PCIe connectors. Now, I'm considering upgrading my graphics card to a 3080 Ti, but I'm worried if I can power it properly with the connectors I have. I'd rather not invest in a new PSU since I'm planning to sell the whole system later on. What are my options here?
1 Answer
Most 3080 Ti graphics cards prefer to draw power from the cables rather than relying on slot power. While technically you could manage 300W through two 8-pin cables and an additional 50W from the PCIe slot, it's generally not recommended. You should check your prebuilt's PSU model; it might be possible to upgrade it or add a third 8-pin connector if it's modular. Also, can you clarify if you have two separate cables with a 6+2 each or just one cable that's daisy-chained?
The PSU is a Corsair CX750m Gold Rated Modular. I have two separate pigtail cables, each with a 6+2 connection, so that's 8 pins total.