I bought two MSI MPG A1000GS power supplies for separate builds. One system will use a 5000-series graphics card, while the other will use a Sapphire Nitro+ 6900 XT, which needs two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The first version of this PSU only includes one PCIe 8-pin cable, so I'm wondering whether I can use the spare PCIe cable from the second, completely identical A1000GS unit. I know modular PSU cables generally aren't interchangeable between different models, but does using one between two identical units pose any risk?
3 Answers
Don’t rely only on the fact that the units have the same name. Manufacturers sometimes update a product and change the included cables or wiring. Confirm that both are the same hardware revision and that the cable pinouts match. Spending a few minutes with a multimeter is much cheaper than replacing a graphics card or power supply.
The newer version of this PSU includes more PCIe cables, but the earlier version only came with one. Since you have two identical earlier units, using one PCIe cable from one unit with the other should be okay as long as the cable is an original cable for that exact PSU revision. Don’t substitute an EPS/CPU cable or a cable from another model.
If both power supplies are the exact same model and revision, the cables should use the same pinout, so borrowing one PCIe cable is generally fine. The danger comes from mixing cables between different PSU models or product families, even when the connectors appear identical. Before plugging it in, compare the labels and connector layouts carefully; checking continuity with a multimeter is an extra-safe way to confirm it.
Thanks for the explanation and reassurance. I’ll verify that both units are the same revision before swapping the cable.