Can a PCIe 4.0 x1 Extension Cable Damage My GPU?
Asked by
TechieTrickster42
Hey everyone! I was trying to install a PCIe 10G Ethernet card on my motherboard, but since I'm using a micro ATX board, the PCIe 4.0 x1 slot was blocked by my GPU. To work around this, I bought a PCIe 4.0 x1 extension cable to connect the Ethernet adapter. I removed the GPU, installed the cable, and then put the GPU back in. I haven't attached the adapter yet because it hasn't arrived. However, when I powered on my PC, it wouldn't post and the motherboard flashed a white VGA light, indicating a problem with my GPU. After sending the GPU for checks, I've been told it's damaged. My question is, how likely is it that the PCIe x1 extension caused damage to the card? The PC was off during the cable installation. For reference, I'm using an Asus B650M-E WiFi motherboard and an Asus 4070 Dual GPU.
Answers
I’m not an engineer, but it seems really unlikely that the extension cable would damage the GPU since they’re in different slots. If there was an issue, you’d expect the motherboard to be damaged instead. Just because the PC was off doesn’t mean the motherboard didn’t have some residual power. Make sure to turn off the PSU completely when working on it, just to be safe!
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It's unlikely that the extension cable caused any damage to your GPU. It sounds more like a coincidence or possibly user error while you were installing or removing the GPU.
ConflictedUser22: Do you think the wiring between the x1 and x16 slots might have been linked in a way that caused a short? I'm considering getting a new ATX board instead to avoid using extension cables.
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ThankfulRepairer: I appreciate the advice! I usually handle my PC upgrades carefully, but this incident is making me second guess myself. After this RMA, I’m thinking about switching to an ATX board.