Hey everyone! I'm building my first PC and I've run into some confusion with the power supply cables. Here are the components I'm using:
- PSU: MSI MPG A1000GS PCIe5
- GPU: ASRock Challenger RX 9070 XT
- Motherboard: MSI B850 Tomahawk Max
I've successfully connected the 24-pin ATX and both CPU 8-pin EPS cables on the motherboard, but now I'm stuck looking at my GPU. It requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors, and I currently see the following options left on my PSU:
- 1 PCIe port
- 2 x 12V-2x6 (12VHPWR) ports
Am I short on PCIe outputs here, or is there a specific way to connect the GPU with the cables I have? Should I be looking for adapters, a different cable set, or am I misunderstanding the layout of these ports? I really want to make sure I get this build right. Thanks in advance for any guidance and happy new year!
2 Answers
You typically only need one 8-pin connector for the CPU on the motherboard—having two is mainly for heavy overclocking, so check your motherboard's manual just to be sure. Your GPU needs two 8-pin PCIe connectors to work correctly, so make sure your PSU came with another PCIe 8-pin cable. If it's lacking, you might want to return it and find one that has at least four PCIe/CPU plugs.
It looks like your PSU actually comes with a cable to convert one of the 12VHPWR outputs into two PCIe connectors for the GPU. So, you should be set there! But here's the catch: some users have found that this cable isn’t included in the box even though it’s mentioned in the manual, which means you might need to contact MSI to get it sent to you. If that sounds like a hassle, consider swapping out the PSU for one that includes everything you need right off the bat.

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