Should I Use a 600W Cable or PCIE Cables for My GPU?
Asked by
CuriousGamer42
I recently got a Be Quiet Pure Power 12 850 W PSU and hooked up most of the cables, apart from the SATA ones since I don't need them right now. However, I learned that the 600W cable is mainly for graphics cards, specifically for Nvidia GPUs. I'm wondering if I should unplug the 600W cable and just stick with the PCIE cables. Can anyone clarify if it's safe to remove the 600W cable and whether it's necessary for my setup? Thanks!
Answers
For most AMD GPUs, the regular PCIe cables are the way to go. Unless your specific model requires that 12V-2x6 connector, you can keep it aside. You might need it later if you switch to an Nvidia GPU.
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If your GPU has PCIe connectors, just use those. The 600W cable isn't really necessary unless your card specifically needs it, which is usually more common with Nvidia models.
CuriousGamer42: I see! I noticed in a tutorial that the last cable should be for the GPU. Should I just focus on the PCIe and not worry about the 600W if it’s not needed?
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You definitely want the right cable for your graphics card. For AMD cards, stick to those PCIe power cables to avoid performance issues. The 600W cable is unnecessary if it doesn’t fit and is causing confusion.
CuriousGamer42: The 600W cable doesn’t fit into my GPU because the connections are too small. Is it alright to use daisy chained cables instead?
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The 12V-2x6 cable (the 600W one) is designed for higher-end Nvidia GPUs, but some AMD GPUs use it too. It’s usually cleaner to have just one connector instead of multiple PCIe cables. If your 9070 XT doesn’t use that connector, no need to connect it.
CuriousGamer42: Got it! My GPU has three 8-pin connectors, but I only have two cables. Are daisy chaining them okay with my 850W PSU?
ElectricEagle8: Yes, you can daisy chain as long as it's correctly rated. Just ensure your PSU can handle the load.
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CuriousGamer42: My box does say it's compatible with an x16 PCIe slot. Is it safe to unplug the 600W cable?