[SOLVED] 6x2 pin GPU, 6+2 pin PSU, Safe to use a splitter?

[Alexllte]

Here are my specs:
CPU - AMD FX-6330
MOBO - MSI 970A-G43
GPU - Sapphire R9 280X
RAM - G.Skill Ares 16GB (2x4GB) DDR3
PSU - Cybertron SL-F500 500W ATX

In the Picture, the PSU only provides 6+2 pins while my GPU requires 6x2 pins, im considering to use on of the "6 pin PCI Express Power Splitter Cable" I found on Amazon.
But after checking on stability of these cables, it seems like those PSU that are poorly designed would not be stable at all, even some had their connector ports burnt out. (between the splitter and the PCI-E cable itself)

All I could think of is to ask those who had the experience doing so, if you did it, was it successful in long-term and/or stable?
Now for those who said no without actually ever using a power splitter, what would be the best budget PSU that handles enough wattages and has all the required ports? (CPU needs 4x2 pin)

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

NO, I won't actually recommend using any splitters, or molex adapters. Your GPU requires 2 6-PIN PCI-e cables, so get a compatible PSU for the card, which has all the required cables to power up a gaming PC. Your current PSU isn't the very best either. Replace this unit with some other high quality PSU, ASAP.

Never heard of this PSU brand before, and most probably it might be some off-brand cheap unit.

 

[Alexllte]

NO, I won't actually recommend using any splitters, or molex adapters. Your GPU requires 2 6-PIN PCI-e cables, so get a compatible PSU for the card. Your current PSU isn't the very best either. Replace this unit with some other high quality PSU.

Thanks, what budget PSU would you recommend?

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Thanks, what budget PSU would you recommend?

What's your budget, and where are you located ? In which currency will you make the payment ?

 

[Alexllte]

Below 50, United States, USD.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

That's a very tight budget. Hard to recommend a specific Model for your system, under 50 USD. But I'm still searching. Can you stretch the budget a little bit more ?

The 280X is a 250W (TDP) GPU, and draws power from 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors, and a minimum 600 Watts PSU is required. I found few Models though, but they are all expensive.

SEASONIC Focus plus GOLD:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Wr...fied-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-650fx

CORSAIR RMx:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2H...-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020178-na

EVGA Supernova G3:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/y8...ed-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-220-g3-0650

 

[Alexllte]

Thanks for checking anyways, im not so sure about the pins.
So you said I need 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector, but I have 6+6 pin on the GPU, so I'm not quite sure what exactly is compatible.
I almost forgot about PCPartPicker, thanks for helping anyways.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

So you said I need 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector, but I have 6+6 pin on the GPU,

What's the exact MODEL of your Sapphire R9 280X GPU ? Because, there are several variants of this card by SAPPHIRE, and some even require 2x 8-pin power connectors. Are you sure the card needs just 2 6-pin PCI-e cables ? These are models like the TOXIC edition, and TRI-X, which require 2x 8-pin power connectors. You can check all the R9 280X models under this database.

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-r9-280x.c2398

But in any case, that doesn't matter, becuase any decent high quality PSU will have enough PCI-e connectors. You need to look for these, 6+2= 8-pin:

 

[DSzymborski]

Yeah, that PSU looks dodgy as hell.

On the PSU, there's also a fun sentence "combined wattage reflects peak performance," which is junk PSU-talk for "yeah, we made up these specs." Peak wattage ratings aren't actually a thing, it would be like a car that brags about having "70 peak miles per gallon!" and finding out that's only when you take your foot completely off the gas pedal and coast down a really large hill.

There's no reputable power supply that lists peak wattage, because it's not actually information used when choosing an actual power supply.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

On the PSU, there's also a fun sentence "combined wattage reflects peak performance," which is junk PSU-talk for "yeah, we made up these specs."

Where is that info written, by the way ? I can't find it on the PSU's Label. 😱

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Never mind. I found it....LOL.

 

[Alexllte]

This is my video card
And this will be what I'm planning to get
Hope I'm on the right track

 

[DSzymborski]

The low end EVGA PSUs aren't particularly good.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $42.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-29 05:54 EDT-0400

 

[Alexllte]

I Understand, Knowing that PCPartPicker isn't 100% accurate, I still have something to say.
This is my current hardware, it is estimated at 435W, and my current choice is the Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU (not Amazon affiliate).
All I'm asking for is a stable system with a good major brand PSU that lasts me at least 1 year, will the 450W be enough for me? or should I get the 500W?
I'm not smart at calculating Power Efficiency, so all I could do is ask...

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

This is my current hardware, it is estimated at 435W, and my current choice is the Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU (not Amazon affiliate).
All I'm asking for is a stable system with a good major brand PSU that lasts me at least 1 year, will the 450W be enough for me? or should I get the 500W?
I'm not smart at calculating Power Efficiency, so all I could do is ask...

Hello, I've already explained this to you before as well. The 280X is a 250W (TDP) GPU, and draws power from 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors, and a minimum 600 Watts PSU is required. Your card also requires 1 6 and 1 8-pin connector from the image which you just posted.

Also, that Thermaktake SMART White PSU is again a very low/poor quality PSU. Not recommended to power high-end gaming PCs. 450 Watts won't be enough for an R9 280X Rig, at least in my opinion. There is a reason AMD recommends a 600 Watts PSU as minimum, for more system stability. Do not take any risk on the PSU, even though it might work. Try to get some other high quality PSU, if possible. Power supplies are an imperative part of your system that should not be taken lightly. Throwing in a budget PSU could result in poor power efficiency or even a wrecked system.

Don't SKIMP on the PSU,, since this is the MOST important PC component. I can't stress this enough. Try to get a Bronze certified PSU as the minimum. Can you afford these PSU models, because they are expensive. Or look for similar models/brands:

SEASONIC Focus plus GOLD:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Wr...fied-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-650fx

CORSAIR RMx:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2H...-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020178-na

EVGA Supernova G3:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/y8...ed-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-220-g3-0650

 

[Alexllte]

Well, guess that sums it up, and i totally understand why people always say "Never cheap out on the PSU"
I will be getting a 600w from a major brand, I think that's all that I need for this build, and definitely looking for a somewhat certified level(?).
Again, Thanks for helping and keeping track of this post.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

No problem. BTW, you can also grab the PSU which @DSzymborski has recommended. The CX model from Corsair. It's within your Budget as well.

 

[david_the_guy]

Below 50, United States, USD.

Under 50 usd ? You won't get a very good quality PSU though. check all the recommendations listed above. Those are some good models.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Under 50 usd ? You won't get a very good quality PSU though.

That's the point though, Quality does comes with a premium. Though, we might sometimes get a decent PSU model under 50 USD, like the Corsair CX 550 bronze, which is an Okay PSU model.