This is my first PC build, and I'm testing the components outside the case before installing everything. I have an ASUS Prime RTX 5070 Ti 16GB and an 850W ASRock Steel Legend power supply. The GPU includes a three-connector power adapter, while the PSU has three PCIe cables: one with a single 8-pin connector and two with detachable 6+2-pin connectors. Do I need to connect all three plugs on the GPU adapter? Can the detachable 6+2-pin connectors be clipped together and used as standard 8-pin connectors? If I use all three, should each PCIe cable be connected to one of the PSU's PCIe sockets, and is there anything else I need to consider?
1 Answer
Yes, use all three connectors on the GPU’s adapter, since that is how the card’s power lead is designed to be populated. The detachable 6+2-pin plugs are intended to snap together and function as an 8-pin PCIe connector. Connect the cables to the PSU sockets labeled for PCIe or PCIe/SATA, not the CPU/EPS sockets, and only use the cables that came with this power supply.
Make sure every cable is fully seated at both ends before powering on. The CPU/EPS cables should remain in the CPU sockets, while the graphics-card cables belong in the PSU’s PCIe/SATA ports.