[SOLVED] 8+4 Pin Power Connector - Do I need to change my PSU?

[GregB99]

So I have all the components for my PC -

MB] ASUS Rog Strix X570-E
CPU] Ryzen 7 3700X
RAM] 16GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4 3600MHZ
PSU] EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G3
GPU] GTX 1060

According to PCPartPicker the PSU only has a 8 pin ATX, and the X570-E requires an 8 + 4.

Now I've read a few threads online, and some say it will work fine on just the 8 if you are not doing any heavy overclocking.
Others have said its imperative that you use all the connectors otherwise the board may not boot, or over time you will fry the cables due to the voltage being drawn.

I am not planning to do any overclocking until the future, for which I would definitely change the PSU.

Will my PC work with these specs? Will a Molex to ATX 4Pin adaptor work? Should I just buy a new PSU with an 8 + 4?

Having waited so long to finally get my new PC I just want to finish it and my last part is arriving tomorrow.

I'm highly considering just buying a new one at this point for the sake of security but want to get opinions as my PSU is perfect for all my needs outside of this dilemma.

Thanks!!! 👽

 

[jay32267]

I would use a PSU with the 8+4.

"some say it will work fine on just the 8 "

It MAY....but....now you are putting all that current through just the 8 and you are going to get more voltage drop no matter what......and voltage drop is bad and if it gets bad enough it can cause a crash.

So why even risk that?

 

[GarrettL]

I have been using the 8 pin and 4 pin without issues non-overclocked 3800 on an Asus TUF x570

 

[Gmoney06ss]

Contact Asus and see what they have to say about the issue. What does it say in the board manual?

I was also under the assumption that just an 8 pin will work perfectly fine, and the additional 4 pin was for extreme overclocking. Ln2 and similar, so even with a standard over clock, the 8 pin should be ok.

You may also search around or contact evga. They may have a cable available to buy separately, saving the expense of a whole new unit.

 

[jay32267]

The manual is vague.....as I find that many times they are regarding this topic.

It basically says.....Connect the 8 pin......or.....Connect the 8 pin and 4 pin.

It doesn't give any explanation.

The bottom line is...if you want less voltage drop....and therefore....a smaller probability of having issues.....I would always use both.

 

[RememberThe5th]

The manual is vague.....as I find that many times they are regarding this topic.

It basically says.....Connect the 8 pin......or.....Connect the 8 pin and 4 pin.

It doesn't give any explanation.

The bottom line is...if you want less voltage drop....and therefore....a smaller probability of having issues.....I would always use both.

Yeah, but I dont trust it, cause I've tested like my previous UD3R from 775 the 8pin connector and it was same line via multimeter.
I think thats for extreme overclocking.

If your PSU is using same 8pin line then its useless. Unless its some high end which uses different 8pin lines (Like 4 is one line and other 4 is other line).

"Just leave the 4pin outside if you dont have the connector for it. Buildzoid pointed out that the 8pin EPS itself provides enough power even for heavy OC under liquid nitrogen, which means it's certainly enough for the general users. It's not like the motherboard will fail to post without that 4pin plugged in either. "

"
The 4 pin is optional.

Through a 8 pin connector you can give up to around 300-350 watts to the VRM (then circuit which powers the processor). A Ryzen 8 core processor will peak at around 150-175 watts, and maybe have brief moments - like milliseconds- when it uses up to 200 watts.... so nowhere close to the maximum possible.

The 4 pin connector is there more or less in case someone would want to use the motherboard to do some extreme overclocking, with very high voltages and LN2 or other super cold liquids.

For regular usage, adding an extra power cable in the 4 pin connector wouldn't make any difference."

 

[GregB99]

I guess I'll just try building it with the 8 pin and check it boots fine, and then test the voltages. Is there a software method of checking the voltages to see if everything is okay?

Im never gonna need to do any extreme overclocking, only basic stuff once my hardware has aged a bit and I need to keep up.

@RememberThe5th

 

[RememberThe5th]

If your motherboard has sensor spots for voltage (which should have) then Hwinfo should work for you.
For example with my board since i have multimeter its quite correct and my 12V line drops to 11.55V (which is acceptable).

 

[GarrettL]

Don't forget to update the x570 drivers too.

https://www.amd.com/en/support/chipsets/amd-socket-am4/x570

 

[Vic 40]

Think with a lower TDP cpu as the 3700X you will be fine with just the 8pin.