I'm building my first PC with an MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 power supply, a Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 GAMING OC 16G graphics card, and a Corsair 3500X case with an iCUE LINK hub for the fans and RGB lighting. The power supply came with two 6+2-pin PCIe cables. I'm using both cables for the GPU, but the iCUE hub also needs PCIe power. Since modular PSU cables aren't interchangeable between manufacturers, I don't want to buy or use an unsafe replacement cable. Is there a safe way to power everything, or are these components incompatible?
3 Answers
Double-check the PSU packaging and the space behind the motherboard tray before assuming you’re missing a cable. Some power supplies include additional PCIe leads that can be easy to overlook. Also, a PCIe cable with two GPU connectors is still designed to power compatible devices through those connectors, so the spare plug can often power a low-demand accessory such as the lighting hub, provided the connections are secure.
If you’d rather avoid using the GPU cables’ pigtails, check CableMod or another reputable custom-cable manufacturer for cables specifically listed as compatible with the MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5. Compatibility matters with modular PSUs, so don’t rely on a cable that merely looks identical. You could then dedicate the replacement cables to the GPU and use an original cable for the hub.
The unused connectors on the daisy-chained ends of the original PCIe cables may be enough for this. The iCUE hub uses very little power compared with the GPU, so using one of the spare PCIe connectors from an original PSU cable is generally reasonable, as long as the connector fits and the PSU manual confirms the cable layout. Don’t use a modular cable from another PSU brand or model.
That makes sense. I’ll check for a cable that is explicitly listed as compatible instead of taking a chance on a generic modular cable.