I have an MSI MPG A850G power supply, and one of its GPU power cables has a detachable 6+2-pin connector. It doesn't seem to connect into a normal 8-pin socket, and I also noticed some pink or red residue on the cable or connector. Is this cable supposed to work as an 8-pin PCIe connector, and should I be concerned about the residue?
3 Answers
The colored residue isn’t something to ignore. It could be manufacturing residue, but if it’s sticky, burnt-looking, wet, or inside the contacts, leave the cable disconnected and have the retailer or MSI inspect or replace it. A clear photo of both sides of the connector would help identify whether anything is damaged.
Make sure you’re using the cable labeled PCIe/VGA, not the CPU/EPS cable. Motherboards use a 4+4-pin EPS connector, while graphics cards use PCIe 6+2. Also, only use the modular cables that came with this exact power supply model.
That’s a standard PCIe power cable. The two extra pins detach from the six-pin section so the same cable can power either a 6-pin or 8-pin graphics-card socket. Slide the 6+2 pieces together before plugging it into the GPU, and don’t force it if the shapes don’t line up.
If the connector appears to have no metal contacts or is physically incomplete, don’t try to use it. Compare it with the other PCIe cable from the PSU and contact the seller for a replacement.