Wires Needed for GPU

[Heslion]

I have a RocketFish 500WPS2 Power Supply that has slots for connectors rather than having them bundled with the 23 Pin, And a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU II. Both of these are Hand-me-Downs And I'm missing the wires to connect the PSU and GPU. I went to a local Computer Store to get the wires, And let me just say that I think both of us didn't understand eachother. I am now utterly confused as to what wires I need, So I've come here to ask you what wires I need to connect a 8 Pin pcie slot from the PSU to a 6 pin pcie slot on the GPU.

 

[azaran]

You have whats called a modular PSU, which isn't all that uncommon now. Unfortunately losing cables for these kinds of PSU's is pretty common if you're getting it second hand. You'd likely need to get those modular cables from Rocketfish or look for them on something like ebay. Since Rocketfish discontinued the model in 2012, ebay may be your best bet. If neither of those two options work, you're looking at a new PSU. Given the quality of BestBuys in house models (Dynex and Rockfish) this isn't a terribly idea if you have budget for a new unit.

 

[Natsukage]

If you can't find the wire anywhere, you can always make your own wire if it's only the PCIE cable. This involves getting the correct connector on each side and splicing wires though.

Not recommended unless you know your electronics and have a good voltmeter. ^^;

 

[amtseung]

An 8-pin PCIe power cable will fit into a 6-pin slot. You'll just have two hanging over the edge, one way or the other, but usually to the left in a standard atx layout. Hopefully you don't have a piece of shroud or heat pipes too close to the power connector so you have space to hang them off the edge.

A 6-pin pcie power cable going into an 8pin plug is usually a horrible idea, but 8-pin into 6-pin is pretty safe if the entire plug is securely attached and clipped in. An 8 pin is essentially a 6pin power plug with an extra power + ground pair stuck to the side. If you had gotten a 6+2 cable (the extra pair of wires dangles off the end with its own plug unless it's needed) instead of a solid 8-pin connector, then fitting it would be easier.

 

[Heslion]

So, First off thanks for the replies, Secondly, I looked up an 8 Pin modular pcie and immediately saw the one that I needed, Would I need to get one off of ebay specifically for a RocketFish, or would any brand do as long as it's an 8 pin modular to 6+2 pin?

 

[Natsukage]

Any brand should work, as long as it is exactly marketed as 8-pin modular to 6+2.

I doubt any modular power supply brand doesn't use the same placement for 12V/GND....compare it with the original PSU cable if you can find pictures.

 

[amtseung]

Any brand should work, as long as it is exactly marketed as 8-pin modular to 6+2.

I doubt any modular power supply brand doesn't use the same placement for 12V/GND....

Some brands have proprietary sockets on their power supplies (Corsair comes to mind) to prevent inter-brand compatibility (more profit from exclusivity) and to ensure the user doesn't accidentally plug the thing upside down or into the wrong socket or something (liability concerns).

I'd bring that power supply to the shop, point at the socket that needs the new cable, and say "I need a cable that fits in here." If they bring you something like an 8-pin CPU power cable, they're not worthy of your business. I've seen this happen before.

 

[Natsukage]

🙁 Well, I should have guessed some companies wanted proprietary connectors. Who doesn't. >_>;

Best is to compare somehow, or double check using a voltmeter if you can't find any info on the original wiring.

 

[Heslion]

Any brand should work, as long as it is exactly marketed as 8-pin modular to 6+2.

I doubt any modular power supply brand doesn't use the same placement for 12V/GND....

Some brands have proprietary sockets on their power supplies (Corsair comes to mind) to prevent inter-brand compatibility (more profit from exclusivity) and to ensure the user doesn't accidentally plug the thing upside down or into the wrong socket or something (liability concerns).

I'd bring that power supply to the shop, point at the socket that needs the new cable, and say "I need a cable that fits in here." If they bring you something like an 8-pin CPU power cable, they're not worthy of your business. I've seen this happen before.

How does one tell the difference between different PCI wires? I know that PCI-e wires have that written on them.

 

[Shaun o]

You can find psu modular wire kits for most Psu on ebay if you do a search for them.

The vast majority price for a full set, or extension cables, can vary in price though.
there not cheap to buy, it depends on the brand of the cpu you have as to how much sellers ask for.

 

[Natsukage]

Usually, one way would be the placement of the colored wires between the two.
PCI-E 6+2 is easy to understand:

Spoiler

On the first 3, the yellow wires are the 12V and the black are the GND wires. The extra +2 are black, but connect either a yellow or a black wire. The top black wire is 12V (yellow) for example in that picture.

For the 8 pin on the modular supply, the manual says that the top 4 pins are 12V:

So for example, this wire would work right away:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/18-ePOWER-EP-450CD-UNI-8-Pin-to-6-Pin-PCI-E-Modular-Power-Supply-Cable-/331481729601?hash=item4d2dd9ca41:g:Em0AAOSwk5FUtVMW


Not the best one for the DirectCu though. It takes two 6-pins connectors...