GA-965P-DQ6 --- Power Connectors Query

[JimBallz]

It's been a long time since I built my last system so here goes....

From what I can tell there is a 8-pin power connector dedicated for the CPU & there is also a 24-pin power connector. My question here is the power supply has a pair 4-pin plugs that look like they fit into the 8-pin power connector. Do I connect both plugs as well as the 24-pin or do I only plug in one 4-pin plug and the 24-pin.

Further question. I am looking at the PCIE_12V power connector and I am looking at my EVGA GeForce 7900GTO video card. The video card has a 6-pin power connector. Do I need to plug into both the PCIE_12V connector and the 6-pin on the video card at the same time? Or do I just plug into the video card power connector only?

Here's another one... What's the difference between SYS_FAN and PWR_FAN?

What is SPDIF? Better yet what is SPDIF_IN for?

Final question (for now).... My stock E6600 cooler has a 4-pin lead, but my Scythe Mine has a 3-pin lead.... What's the difference?

 

[kcconlin9319]

(a) 8-pin CPU power connector --- the two 2x2 halves of the connector are keyed differently. You may be able to attach both of your 2x2 power cables to this connector, but be sure all the +12 is on the back-panel side to avoid fireworks (see pg. 20 of your motherboard manual).

(b) If your video card has a 6-pin power connector, don't bother with the PCIE_12V connector (my X1900XTX works fine with just the 6-pin connector).

(c) the SYS_FAN connector is for 4-pin PWM fans (but works fine with 3-pin fans; just set the BIOS to use voltage rather than PWM for fan control). I don't know if the automatic fan control algorithms distinguish between SYS_FAN and PWR_FAN; I just run my fans full speed.

(d) Sony/Phillips Digital Interface (i.e. digital audio). SPDIF_IN allows you to pipe digital audio to the Realtek audio chip. Gigabyte has a back-panel adapter with Toslink and RCA connectors that hooks up to this connection; I'd like to buy it, but no one on-line or off-line seems to have it (can anyone help?). Assuming Gigabyte implemented the Realtek reference design, SPDIF_IN expects real S/PDIF signal levels, so it's not strictly compatible with the digital audio output on the back of optical drives (but it may work anyway, or you could add a 150 ohm dropping resistor to the signal line).

(e) stock cooler has a PWM fan, Mine has a voltage-controlled fan. Hook up your fan to pins 1-3 of the CPU_FAN connector and set the BIOS to use voltage control.

 

[JimBallz]

Wow! Thanks that really clears things up.

Here's what I know to do now.
Power supply is the Scythe Kamariki II 550Watt.

1. Keep PWR Supply unplugged.
2. Join the 10x2 (20-pin) and 2x2 (4-pin) power adapters along the sides keyed to each other to form a single 24-pin adapter.
3. Plug the now 24-pin adapter into the keyed 24-pin power connector.
3. Join P4 and P4+ labeled 2x2 power adapters along keyed sides to form a single 2x4 (8-pin) power adapter.
4. Plug the now 2x4 (8-pin) adapter into the power connector near the keyed CPU slot.
5. Insert the two (2)DDR2 RAM modules into the same color memory slots.
6. Firmly seat the GeForce 7900GTO video card into PCIE_16_1
7. Attach the (6-pin) power adapter labled "PCI Express" into the video card 6-pin power connector.

This should theoretically work, and this leads me to my next question.
The power supply has two "PCI Express" adapters. Is there any benefit to reducing both 2x3 (6-pin) adapters into a single "PCI Express" adapter? Would this feed higher Amps to the video card? Or would it be negligible?

I am not planning on running a dual video setup at all. I understand if I ever were to run dual video cards I would end up purchasing one of the dedicated power supplies I've reading about specially designed to add a little uuummph.

The side of the power supply says.
http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/hardware/1609_2.html

 

[kcconlin9319]

It's usually a very bad idea to strap power supply outputs together unless you know exactly what you're doing. A single 6-pin output is all you need for a single graphics card.

 

[JimBallz]

She posted without a hitch.

 

[JimBallz]

She posted without a hitch.
Now I just gotta find my old Windows XP Pro disc.
It's been about three years since I've last seen it. It's probably all scratched to hell too. The next couple of days are going to be a loooong wait for NewEgg.COM to ship me my hard disc and monitor.