[SOLVED] My PSU antec HCG 1000 has 2x8 pins how do I install a third for a GPU that needs 3x8 pins

[AdrianTheHumble]

Hi friends, honestly I'm an idiot, anyways I'm planning to buy the RTX 3080 or the upcoming AMD rDNA 2 GPUs that needs 3x8 pins to power the GPU, the problem is I have only 2x8 pins on my PSU, how do I install a third 8 pin? Cuz back In the day the asus mars GTX GTX 580 needed 3x8 pins so how do I install or get a third 8 pin, I saw on websites that most RTX 3080s need 3x8 pins, or do I need to buy a more expensive PSU? Thanks and sorry I'm dumb.

 

[jonnyguru]

Hi friends, honestly I'm an idiot, anyways I'm planning to buy the RTX 3080 or the upcoming AMD rDNA 2 GPUs that needs 3x8 pins to power the GPU, the problem is I have only 2x8 pins on my PSU, how do I install a third 8 pin? Cuz back In the day the asus mars GTX GTX 580 needed 3x8 pins so how do I install or get a third 8 pin, I saw on websites that most RTX 3080s need 3x8 pins, or do I need to buy a more expensive PSU? Thanks and sorry I'm dumb.

You need to look at your cables again.

An HCG1000 has two EPS12V 8-pins... and EIGHT 6+2-pin PCIe power connectors.

You have WAY ENOUGH connectors to go around and then some.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

You need to look at your cables again.

An HCG1000 has two EPS12V 8-pins... and EIGHT 6+2-pin PCIe power connectors.

You have WAY ENOUGH connectors to go around and then some.

I don't understand you're saying that my PSU has a total of 10x8 pin connectors combined? How is this possible, I'm a hardware idiot, please help me friend. Is my PSU capable of 4 way SLI?

 

[kanewolf]

I don't understand you're saying that my PSU has a total of 10x8 pin connectors combined? How is this possible, I'm a hardware idiot, please help me friend. Is my PSU capable of 4 way SLI?

Look at the product page -- https://www.antec.com/product/power/hcg1000-extreme.php It shows what connections are included.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

Look at the product page -- https://www.antec.com/product/power/hcg1000-extreme.php It shows what connections are included.

Yeah I've seen it and I don't understand anything, do I need to buy a 1600 watt psu for this RTX 3080 or RX 6900 XT, cuz I wanna overclock the card and I want a GPU that requires 3x8 pins, how many 8 pins does my PSU HCG antec 1000 have and is it capable to power 4 way SLI or Xfire, I'm a very good Gamer but hardware I'm just a clueless idiot, please help me my friends, I don't understand these things. 😰

 

[kanewolf]

Yeah I've seen it and I don't understand anything, do I need to buy a 1600 watt psu for this RTX 3080 or RX 6900 XT, cuz I wanna overclock the card and I want a GPU that requires 3x8 pins, how many 8 pins does my PSU HCG antec 1000 have and is it capable to power 4 way SLI or Xfire, I'm a very good Gamer but hardware I'm just a clueless idiot, please help me my friends, I don't understand these things. 😰

There are 8 PCIe port cables included. 4 are single connector cables and two are dual plug cables. That provides a total of 8 PCIe power cords. I don't know how to make it any clearer than what is on the manufacturer page

.

Theoretically for a 3090 card, you could use three of the four discrete cables. Or you could use one of the dual head cables and one regular.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

Yeah I've seen it and I don't understand anything, do I need to buy a 1600 watt psu for this RTX 3080 or RX 6900 XT, cuz I wanna overclock the card and I want a GPU that requires 3x8 pins, how many 8 pins does my PSU HCG antec 1000 have and is it capable to power 4 way SLI or Xfire, I'm a very good Gamer but hardware I'm just a clueless idiot, please help me my friends, I don't understand these things. 😰

There are 8 PCIe port cables included. 4 are single connector cables and two are dual plug cables. That provides a total of 8 PCIe power cords. I don't know how to make it any clearer than what is on the manufacturer page

.

Theoretically for a 3090 card, you could use three of the four discrete cables. Or you could use one of the dual head cables and one regular.

My antec HCG 1000 has 2x8 eps12v and 8x8 6+2 pcie connecters, what does this mean is this psu capable of powering a 3x8 pin Power hungry GPU? Can my PSU install let's say a GTX 980 in 4 way SLI? I don't understand I'm really sorry for wasting your time I'm an idiot, let's make it simple do I need to buy a new PSU? Or is this psu good enough? If it is good enough since it's a 1000 watt will it be able to power a RTX 3080 or Rx 6900 XT that requires a 3x8 pin and is it capable of going 4 way xfire or SLI, I really apologize for this I don't understand these pins and numbers and power and all that, I bought a 1000 watt psu for future proofing, is my my psu capable of handling let's say an RTX 3090 that requires 4x8 pins or not? And how many 8 pins does my PSU have? 10? Sorry I'm just a stupid person.

 

[jonnyguru]

I don't understand you're saying that my PSU has a total of 10x8 pin connectors combined? How is this possible, I'm a hardware idiot, please help me friend. Is my PSU capable of 4 way SLI?

Do you not have the PSU in front of you so you can just look at it?

EPS12V connectors are for the motherboard. You should have two cables with one connector each.

For the graphics card, you have 6+2-pin connectors. 6+2=8. They make them this way so the same connector can go into a 6-pin graphics card or an 8-pin graphics card. You should have four cables with one connector on them and another two cables with two connectors each.

Did you build the machine? Maybe whoever built it for you did not give you all of the cables that came with your PSU and all you see are the two that are plugged into your current graphics card? I have to speculate that's what's going on because I can't fathom how somebody can't have the PSU right in front of them and still not figure this out.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

Do you not have the PSU in front of you so you can just look at it?

EPS12V connectors are for the motherboard. You should have two cables with one connector each.

For the graphics card, you have 6+2-pin connectors. 6+2=8. They make them this way so the same connector can go into a 6-pin graphics card or an 8-pin graphics card. You should have four cables with one connector on them and another two cables with two connectors each.

Did you build the machine? Maybe whoever built it for you did not give you all of the cables that came with your PSU and all you see are the two that are plugged into your current graphics card? I have to speculate that's what's going on because I can't fathom how somebody can't have the PSU right in front of them and still not figure this out.

I bought this machine from my local dealer, my current GPU is GTX 1660 that requires 1x6+2 pin, I see another 1x6+2 pin but I don't see anymore pins, how many 6+2 = 8 pins does my PSU have? I cannot afford to go multiple GPUs in sli but let's say I get a loan and decide to go 4 way sli, will I have enough 6+2 = 8 pins? How many total 6+2= 8 pins does my PSU have? I'm really sorry I'm not hardware expert but when it comes to software like installing windows and games and playing them I'm really good at it, it's just hardware is too scary for me to actually open the case and touch it, please forgive my stupidity! 😰

 

[bignastyid]

Did the seller not include the extra(not used in building) cables? If not just buy replacements from Antec or buy custom cables from a place like modDIY. That would be cheaper than a new PSU. Your 1000w PSU is more than enough for a 3080.

 

[jonnyguru]

I bought this machine from my local dealer, my current GPU is GTX 1660 that requires 1x6+2 pin, I see another 1x6+2 pin but I don't see anymore pins, how many 6+2 = 8 pins does my PSU have?

We've already told you... multiple times.

Your PSU is fully modular, which means unused cables can be left off the PSU until they are needed in the future. Sounds like your local dealer did not give you the extra cables your PSU came with. So you should go back there and demand them.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

We've already told you... multiple times.

Your PSU is fully modular, which means unused cables can be left off the PSU until they are needed in the future. Sounds like your local dealer did not give you the extra cables your PSU came with. So you should go back there and demand them.

Okay thanks but before I mark this as solved, can u confirm that my PSU is capable of a 3090?

 

[Archaic59]

Okay thanks but before I mark this as solved, can u confirm that my PSU is capable of a 3090?

No problem, plenty of power. You will need the power cables for that model. Contact whoever built it for you. You'll want a 4K monitor for that or at least 1440p. At 1080p it would just be a waste of money.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

No problem, plenty of power. You will need the power cables for that model. Contact whoever built it for you. You'll want a 4K monitor for that or at least 1440p. At 1080p it would just be a waste of money.

But I'm planning for 1080 240 Hz, also will a ryzen 9 3900XT be a bottleneck? I'm nervous of 4k gaming

 

[Archaic59]

But I'm planning for 1080 240 Hz, also will a ryzen 9 3900XT be a bottleneck? I'm nervous of 4k gaming

It might be best to wait for some benchmarks to see just what Ampere card you need for 240hz. @ 1080p. I suppose if you are gaming competitively a 1080p 240hz monitor could be a good pick. Whether or not you need a 3090 remains to be seen.

 

[AdrianTheHumble]

It might be best to wait for some benchmarks to see just what Ampere card you need for 240hz. @ 1080p. I suppose if you are gaming competitively a 1080p 240hz monitor could be a good pick. Whether or not you need a 3090 remains to be seen.

Now I may be an idiot regarding hardware, I don't even know how to install a graphics card but I'm good at playing games, I'm thinking of getting an RTX 3080 for 240 fps max settings and I'm also waiting for big navi maybe it might surprise all of us