I recently got a 5070 TI graphics card that has its own 12V-2x6 power cable connecting to my Montech Century 850 II power supply. I'm wondering if it's considered best practice to also connect the PCIe power cable on the motherboard, even when I don't have anything else plugged in. Additionally, I noticed that my PSU only comes with a PCIe cable that has a pigtail. Should I just leave the pigtail hanging? Thanks for any help!
4 Answers
Some motherboards do have additional PCIe power connectors to support power-hungry GPUs directly. While it's nice to connect it, it's not strictly necessary in your case. It's somewhat uncommon to run into these connectors anyway.
I believe some motherboard manufacturers started adding those extra power connectors next to the main PCIe slot because GPUs are getting more demanding. Connecting it can help lower the load on your main power cable, but it shouldn't cause any damage if you do use it. What’s the model of your motherboard?
That 12V-2x6 adapter you're using is for PSUs that don't have a native 12V HPWR cable. Since your PSU actually has a native one, you should just use that instead of the adapter—it's simpler and more efficient.
What do you mean by the "PCIe on the motherboard"? Generally, most consumer motherboards don’t come with a PCIe power input unless they’re high-end or designed for mining. Could you share a picture of exactly what you're talking about?
Here's the link to what I'm referring to: https://imgur.com/a/DaABQKX. Check it out!