RX 480 8 pin power supply

Hi, searched forum but couldnt get a match so here goes.

Old Radeon 6870 card used two 6 pin pcie cables.

New MSI Rx 480 4 gb uses a single 8 pin pcie connection.

Can I use the two 6 pin pcie to 8 pin cable adapters you can buy to power this card? Or am I out of luck and have to buy a new PSU....

Present PSU is a silverstone 600 watt

Thanks

 

Should be able to, iirc the 8 PIN PCI-E power cables on some PSUs are actually 6 pin & 2 pin, with the two separate pins connected to two of the pins on the 6 block

EDIT - Just checked mine and it's not setup like that, all 8 pins go to the PSU, but fairly sure I've seen PCI-E power leads set up like that before

 

I have 6+2 cables and I hooked one to my 470 but I'm not sure if it matters what 2 pins the extra cables go on. I did it so the extra 2 plugs remained on the same side of the 6 pins as the wires are. Everything is working fine but I just wonder if it matters what way they are hooked up. My previous card used two 6 pin connectors.

 

OP look a little closer at your PCI-E power cables there should be 2 more that are hanging loose right next to the 6pin (Black)....Heck I just found them on mine a few weeks back :nerd:

 

Ya first thing I looked for. Doesnt seem to be one.

I'll look again, cant hurt.

 

Grrr, looked again, none....but it just didnt seem right so I looked up the PSU online and sure enough, it said there was one 6/8 pcie connector.

Pulled all the wires out, cable ties and all, still nothing. Noticed two little wires going behind the hard drive that shouldnt be there...there it was.

Instead of a 6 pin pcie with a short little looped 2 pin with it, the 2 pin had 10 inches of its own cable.

Thanks for the push, good to go now!

 

That's very odd, old power supply?

 

Six years maybe?

 

Probably time for a new one then

 

I would have no hesitation doing this, depending on spec of PSU. On an older rig I still have which at the time had a very old Seasonic S12 600W with only 2x 6 pin PCI-E I used a Hawaii card (8+6pin) for folding@home for many continuous hours (48hrs+ several runs).

Model number?

 

You should be just fine, and the power consumption is in the same ballpark. The 8-pin connector is 150W and the 6-pin ones are 75W each, so it's really a drop in replacement with no issue.