I'm planning to buy an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and currently have a 1000W be quiet! PSU. My power supply has two PCIe cables, each with a daisy-chained connector, and it also supports the newer GPU power connector. Some people recommend using one separate cable per 8-pin socket, so I'm unsure whether I should choose a card with two 8-pin connectors, use a three-connector model with the available cables, or choose a card with the newer connector. Has anyone run a similar setup, and what would be the safest way to connect it?
3 Answers
You should have no concern about the wattage of the PSU itself; 1000W is more than enough. If the card supports the newer native power connector and your PSU includes the proper cable, that’s also a clean option. Otherwise, a normal two-8-pin RX 9070 XT is the simplest choice and avoids needing the third connector at all.
Using one cable plus the second connector on its daisy chain is generally normal for a two-connector card, provided the PSU cable is an original cable rated for the unit. For a three-connector card, use both available PCIe cables and the additional daisy-chain plug, or follow the PSU and GPU manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t mix modular cables from another power supply.
A quality 1000W be quiet! unit has plenty of total capacity for an RX 9070 XT. The exact card matters, though: most standard models use two 8-pin connectors and can run from one cable per connector, while some heavily overclocked versions use three. Check the specific model’s manual and power recommendation before buying.
The motherboard slot also supplies up to about 75W, so a typical 300–340W card with two 8-pin inputs is comfortably within the available power. A high-power factory-overclocked model may have a higher limit, which is why its manual should take priority.