[SOLVED] How can I connect my GPU to this power supply? Does it have to be connected?

[Tech&FairyDust]

Hello, everyone!
The (very cheap) PSU that came with the case of my new emergency/tight budget build doesn’t seem to have a connector that fits my GPU:

https://imgur.com/a/Ua3JQ1w

View: https://imgur.com/a/Ua3JQ1w

It has: a 20+4 pin connector (motherboard), a 4+4 pin connector (4 pins fit into the CPU_PWR1 socket on the motherboard), 2 x SATA, 2 X Molex, 1 x Floppy(?!) connectors.
The 4+4 pin connector doesn’t fit into the GPU socket. The GPU also came with a connector in its box. It has 8 pins on one side and 2 X 6 pins on the other side. I can plug the 8 pin part into the GPU, but how could I connect the 6 pin part to the PSU? There is no socket or cable for it.

So, I wonder:

1. Does the GPU have to be connected to the PSU or does it get enough power through the motherboard?
2. If it needs a PSU connection, what connector could I plug into the GPU socket?
3. I feel like this is a stupid question, but I’m going to ask anyway: could I possibly connect the other part of the PSU 4+4 pin to the GPU or to the 8 pin to 2x6 pin adapter? Or would I risk something frying or not getting enough power?

Here's my configuration(usage: office work + casual gaming):

• motherboard: MSI B450M-A PRO MAX (micro-ATX)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (3rd gen) + Wraith Stealth cooler (which I kept, hoping that it would be doing its job for a little while)
• GPU: XFX Radeon RX 570 RS 8GB GDDR5 256-bit
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 16GB DDR4 3000MHz CL16 Dual Channel Kit
• SSD: Kingston A2000 500GB PCI Express 3.0 x4 M.2 2280
• HDD: Western Digital Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM (from my old PC)
• monitor: Dell SE2717H 27.0" 1920x1080 75Hz (from my old PC)
• PSU: Segotep ATX-500W (came with the case, nonmodular; GPU manufacturer recommends 550W, but lists 500W as the minimum requirement)
• case: Segotep S3 Black
• optical drive: an older LG DVD-RW which I intend to keep

I admit it: I did read that you shouldn't cheap out on your PSU, but I thought if this one can power my system for a couple of months, I could save up for a good one.
Can anyone help? If you need any more details or photos, please let me know and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. Thanks!

 

[PC Tailor]

Welcome to the forums my friend!

The obvious one is making sure that the 4+4 pins you're referring to are actually PCIe pins. If not, they're not made for the GPU.

You're right about not cheaping out on the PSU - just see point 1 here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...when-selecting-parts-for-a-custom-pc.3510178/

But there is a simpler answer for this assuming that it really is the fact that the PSU does not have the PCIe output - get a good PSU!

Generally if it doesn't have the cable, it wasn't fit for that purpose. And i wouldn't be surprised if the PSU is more likely a door stop / fire hazard unfortunately.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

It has to be connected.

You will need to replace your PSU with one that has the appropriate PCIe connectors. Your no-name PSU is probably very poorly made, in any case.

a Corsair, Silverstone, Antec, Seasonic or be Quiet supply will be what you need

 

[Tech&FairyDust]

Thanks!

The obvious one is making sure that the 4+4 pins you're referring to are actually PCIe pins. If not, they're not made for the GPU.

After a little investigation, I found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#Power. Is this how I can tell if they are PCIe pins? If yes, then I can say for sure they're not. Here's what they look like:

https://imgur.com/hE9sUme

View: https://imgur.com/hE9sUme


P.S.: that video in the post you linked scared the heck out of me!! If I ever saw that happening with my PC, I'd freak out!

 

[Tech&FairyDust]

It has to be connected.

I thought so…

How can they sell PSUs without the proper connectors though? Is it that a PSU like this one can only be used for a CPU with onboard graphics? Because I'm having trouble seeing how it might be useful to anyone if it can’t power the graphics card.

 

[PC Tailor]

that video in the post you linked scared the heck out of me!!

And that's not an exceptional circumstance video - it happens more often than you might think. And will it will often do whether you see sparks or not, is it can easily take out the rest of your components as it doesn't "contain" the damage to itself, it lets your components have it.

How can they sell PSUs without the proper connectors though?

There can be a few reasons:

That PSU was not built for that use in mind.
This is the case with for example, Corsair VS line. Many will outright say it's a junk PSU (me included really) - but in reality, it's not that it's junk. It's that it's misused. People want to go cheap on a PSU but think brand makes a difference (branded can still be junk) and then get a PSU that's not really made for their system. The VS line was made to be budget, for lower end systems.

The PSU is absolutely garbage but they know people will pay for it - easy money.
Crap in, crap out. There is tons of junk on the market. And many people will overlook the PSU and just buy cheap, but branded, with enough wattage, which is a bad mentality to have. Many people as you'll see, think that the PSU is where you can save money, but in reality it should be the last place you should do so.

Places know that despite this, you'll buy it, and potentially lose out. Because if your PSU blows and takes out your wonderful $600 GPU, all warranties on any parts are void as it's technically "your fault". And the PSU manufacturer certainly won't pay out for it.

Again, people think branded = good, and it is absolutely not the case. EVGA, ThermalTake etc. all make a chunk of terrible units.

The platform of the PSU can predate current needs
It's still common for people to use old PSU platforms on new tech and entirely expect it to be the same (some excellent models can be still) but point remains the PSU back then was not necessarily made knowing what the future requirements would be.

These are just some examples.

 

[SkyNetRising]

1. Does the GPU have to be connected to the PSU or does it get enough power through the motherboard?
2. If it needs a PSU connection, what connector could I plug into the GPU socket?
3. I feel like this is a stupid question, but I’m going to ask anyway: could I possibly connect the other part of the PSU 4+4 pin to the GPU or to the 8 pin to 2x6 pin adapter? Or would I risk something frying or not getting enough power?

1 - Yes.
2/3 - New PSU is absolutely necessary.
Your PSU has only 276W on 12V rail. Although it is being sold as 500W, it is 300W at best.
XFX Radeon RX 570 minimum requirement is 500W PSU.

 

[madmatt30]

That psu has a 23a 12v rail.
That equates to 276w on the 12v.

Its barely a 300w psu in reality.

You can't run a rx 570 on it simple as.

It doesnt have any pci gpu power connectors, DON'T use any adapters or there will be videos of your psu catching fire on youtube too!!

 

[jonnyguru]

Hello, everyone!
The (very cheap) PSU that came with the case of my new emergency/tight budget build doesn’t seem to have a connector that fits my GPU:

https://imgur.com/a/Ua3JQ1w

View: https://imgur.com/a/Ua3JQ1w

It has: a 20+4 pin connector (motherboard), a 4+4 pin connector (4 pins fit into the CPU_PWR1 socket on the motherboard), 2 x SATA, 2 X Molex, 1 x Floppy(?!) connectors.
The 4+4 pin connector doesn’t fit into the GPU socket. The GPU also came with a connector in its box. It has 8 pins on one side and 2 X 6 pins on the other side. I can plug the 8 pin part into the GPU, but how could I connect the 6 pin part to the PSU? There is no socket or cable for it.

So, I wonder:

1. Does the GPU have to be connected to the PSU or does it get enough power through the motherboard?
2. If it needs a PSU connection, what connector could I plug into the GPU socket?
3. I feel like this is a stupid question, but I’m going to ask anyway: could I possibly connect the other part of the PSU 4+4 pin to the GPU or to the 8 pin to 2x6 pin adapter? Or would I risk something frying or not getting enough power?

Here's my configuration(usage: office work + casual gaming):

• motherboard: MSI B450M-A PRO MAX (micro-ATX)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (3rd gen) + Wraith Stealth cooler (which I kept, hoping that it would be doing its job for a little while)
• GPU: XFX Radeon RX 570 RS 8GB GDDR5 256-bit
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 16GB DDR4 3000MHz CL16 Dual Channel Kit
• SSD: Kingston A2000 500GB PCI Express 3.0 x4 M.2 2280
• HDD: Western Digital Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM (from my old PC)
• monitor: Dell SE2717H 27.0" 1920x1080 75Hz (from my old PC)
• PSU: Segotep ATX-500W (came with the case, nonmodular; GPU manufacturer recommends 550W, but lists 500W as the minimum requirement)
• case: Segotep S3 Black
• optical drive: an older LG DVD-RW which I intend to keep

I admit it: I did read that you shouldn't cheap out on your PSU, but I thought if this one can power my system for a couple of months, I could save up for a good one.
Can anyone help? If you need any more details or photos, please let me know and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. Thanks!

You don't. It's a garbage PSU and shouldn't be used in any system with a discrete graphics card.

 

[Tech&FairyDust]

@PC Tailor: hmm… that makes a lot of sense, and I appreciate you taking the time to educate me.

doesn't "contain" the damage to itself, it lets your components have it.

^That's what I was most worried about.

@jonnyguru - got it. Thanks. The thing is I built the PC because I found myself having to teach online and my current computer, which I have personally been torturing for almost four years (a small Lenovo Thinkcentre with an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, 3GHz CPU and 4 GB of RAM, dating from 2009), can't handle it well anymore. It was terrible timing, really, as my budget was unusually low, hence the cheap power supply. I’ll try to pay more attention next time.

@SkyNetRising, @madmatt30 - I thought that min 500W was the total continuous wattage needed. Should I be looking at something that has min 500W on the 12V rail?

I apologize for all the silly questions, but this girl and computer hardware (especially wires) don’t mix all that well. 😊

 

[PC Tailor]

I thought that min 500W was the total continuous wattage needed. Should I be looking at something that has min 500W on the 12V rail?

Not necessarily, the mass majority of your power is going to come from your 12V rail, and your major components are going to draw power from the 12V rail.

For example, the Corsair TX550M which is a great quality power supply, has a total wattage of 550W, but 516W is purely from the +12V rail.

Overload one rail and you can be asking for trouble.

An infamous sign of a bad quality PSU is when it's 12V rail wattage is no where near the overall wattage of the PSU. Which is why, whilst it does technically have 500W output, it is the equivalent of a 300W output in application terms, because all of your most power hungry components are only (really) going to have 300W to access - and even that 300W is probably going to be dubious.

 

[Tech&FairyDust]

Got it. That was a very clear explanation and I think I now have a slightly better idea about what I should be looking for.

So, the takeaways:

• get a new PSU from a reputable brand, but be careful not to choose one of their bad/ unfit for purpose products
• 500W minimum, most of it on the 12V rail
• no adapters, make sure it already comes with the right connectors

The Corsair TX550M looks good. It’s 80+ certified, it has 516W on the +12V rail, it seems to have all the cables I need and it’s even semi-modular. Unfortunately, it’s a little over the budget I have available this month. The lowest price for it around here is ~80 USD (on sale).

I’ll come back for some more advice tomorrow, after I’ve investigated the PSU market in my country a little bit.

Thanks a lot PC Tailor, ScrewySqrl, SkyNetRising, madmatt30, jonnyguru for taking the time to answer. I really appreciate it.

 

[SkyNetRising]

The Corsair TX550M looks good. Unfortunately, it’s a little over the budget I have available this month. The lowest price for it around here is ~80 USD (on sale).

If price is your issue, then check prices for Seasonic S12II/M12II 520W and 620W models. Should be below $80.

 

[madmatt30]

If price is your issue, then check prices for Seasonic S12II/M12II 520W and 620W models. Should be below $80.

Id take a corsair cx550 over the old s12 model simply because of the old group regulation on them.

I know on a component quality front they're better but as a unit for the modern build era they're just not as suited.

 

[Tech&FairyDust]

@SkyNetRising, @madmatt30 thanks for the suggestions and info! I’ll look into those options too.