I have a 9070 XT graphics card in my PC build, and my power supply is a Corsair HX1000i. While it should be enough power on paper, I'm facing an issue with the cables. The PSU came with two 8-pin EPS (4+4) connectors for the motherboard, which leaves me with only two 8-pin PCIe (6+2) connectors available. Is it safe to use these PCIe connectors to connect to the GPU, even if one connector remains unused?
2 Answers
Your motherboard needs the two 8-pin EPS connectors for the CPU, so don’t use those for the GPU. Your HX1000i actually has a total of 8 PCIe plugs available. It's perfectly fine to use both of the PCIe connectors you have for your GPU. Corsair designs their cables to work well together, so you shouldn’t run into issues.
To clarify:
- The EPS (4+4) connects to your CPU via the motherboard, so those are definitely not for the GPU.
- Use the PCIe (6+2) connectors for powering your GPU. Best practice suggests that you should ideally use one dedicated PCIe cable per GPU socket to prevent heat buildup and voltage drops.
- Just remember that the motherboard also needs its own 24-pin connector for power!
That's a great point about separate cables. Even if it works fine now, it’s often better to play it safe and avoid any potential future issues!
Thanks for the advice! Are you suggesting I should invest in three separate PCIe cables for better performance?