Hey everyone! I have a Super Flower Leadex III GL ATX 3.1, 80+ Gold, 850W power supply that's currently used to power my Asus Prime OC RX 9070 XT. I'm using two PCIe 6+2 pin cables that came with the PSU, but one of them has a pigtail, allowing two out of the three GPU ports to be connected via a single cable. I want to switch to three separate cables for the GPU's power. I'm thinking about using an additional PCIe 6+2 cable from an older Super Flower Leadex II ATX 2.2, 80+ Gold, 650W PSU. I've seen mixed reviews on the compatibility of using different PSU cables, so I'm looking for some advice. Thanks!
3 Answers
Absolutely not! You should never mix PSU cables unless it's clearly stated to do so. They might look similar but often have different pin layouts, which can fry your GPU. By the way, your current setup is fine as the 9070 XT draws about 330W, and you're within the limits of your existing cables.
Just a reminder, each plug on a PCIe 6+2 is rated for about 150W. If your cables are good quality and use 16AWG wiring, they should be good for more than that, possibly up to 300W. So while it's ideal to use separate cables, if the cable quality is high, you might be okay. Just keep in mind to never mix cables from different PSUs since there's a big chance the pinout differs.
It's a hard pass from me. Mixing PSU cables can lead to issues due to differences in wiring and tolerances, which could potentially cause shorts. You definitely don't want to risk damaging your $700 card!
Thanks for the heads up!
I appreciate the advice! I'm considering a separate cable because I've been getting driver timeouts due to transient spikes. I read online that using a pigtail might contribute to those timeouts.