PSU PCI-E vs CPU cables

[ArkahmAsylym]

Hello all. Just curious to get an answer to what I think is true.  Is the PSU 8-pin PCI-E connector the same voltages as the 8-pin CPU connector.  I noticed they have the same plug config and it looks like the voltages are the same.  The PSU I have is semi-modular and has 2 cables for PCI-E and one CPU 8-pin.  I am not going to use at least one PCI-E but I have 2 CPU's.  Is using the 8-pin PCI a viable option to use for the CPU?

[Jurrunio]

they are the same voltage (both carry only 12v and ground wires) but the pinout are different and cannot replace one another.

[PopsicleHustler]

They're fed from the same 12V rail, but connectors are different.

[ArkahmAsylym]

1 minute ago, PopsicleHustler said:

They're fed from the same 12V rail, but connectors are different.

Ah I see it now. The PCI-E has more rounded plugs than the CPU, which are mostly square plugs.  Funny thing is that the modular receptacles in my PSU are labeled PCI-E/CPU, so I would just have to use a CPU cable in that, not a PCI, correct?

[PopsicleHustler]

2 hours ago, ArkahmAsylym said:

Ah I see it now. The PCI-E has more rounded plugs than the CPU, which are mostly square plugs.  Funny thing is that the modular receptacles in my PSU are labeled PCI-E/CPU, so I would just have to use a CPU cable in that, not a PCI, correct?

Yes, connectors on the PSU are the same, but other end is different for CPU and GPU plugs.

[Spotty]

3 hours ago, ArkahmAsylym said:

I am not going to use at least one PCI-E but I have 2 CPU's.  Is using the 8-pin PCI a viable option to use for the CPU?

You can't substitute the PCIe cable for the CPU. They have different pin outs.

 

What CPU do you have?

What motherboard do you have?

What GPU do you have?

 

The secondary EPS (CPU) connector is typically supplementary and not required. Unless you're running a threadripper, epyc or dual Xeon set up you probably don't need it. You can run the system with just one plugged in.

 

If your system *requires* two EPS connectors you should be replacing the PSU. That's the original hx series. It's a decent unit, but that's about 10 years old so who knows what sort of condition it's in after 10 years of use. That's actually the 2nd revision of the HX series, not the original. Still about 8 years old though.

Aren't you the person who had 8 hard drives fail?  Where'd you get those custom SATA cables from?
The current HX series and original and second HX series of PSUs use different peripheral connectors. If you purchased custom sleeved cables designed for the modern HX series of PSUs and used it in the original/2nd HX Series, then it could explain why your HDDs died.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Spotty
Too many HX revisions...

[Stefan Payne]

10 hours ago, ArkahmAsylym said:

 I am not going to use at least one PCI-E but I have 2 CPU's.  Is using the 8-pin PCI a viable option to use for the CPU?

You should replace that PSU as its the old HX silver, not the modern one.

[ArkahmAsylym]

16 hours ago, Spotty said:

Aren't you the person who had 8 hard drives fail?  Where'd you get those custom SATA cables from?
The current HX series and original and second HX series of PSUs use different peripheral connectors. If you purchased custom sleeved cables designed for the modern HX series of PSUs and used it in the original/2nd HX Series, then it could explain why your HDDs died.

1. Yes, I am the one with the 8HD failures.

2. Those are the non-modular cables connected into the PSU. (PSU is Semi-Modular)

3. This isn't the PSU I used to initially power those HDD's.

16 hours ago, Spotty said:

You can't substitute the PCIe cable for the CPU. They have different pin outs.

 

What CPU do you have?

What motherboard do you have?

What GPU do you have?

 

The secondary EPS (CPU) connector is typically supplementary and not required. Unless you're running a threadripper, epyc or dual Xeon set up you probably don't need it. You can run the system with just one plugged in.

Dual Xeon 2660

EP2C602 - ASROCK Rack

Onboard GPU

9 hours ago, Stefan Payne said:

You should replace that PSU as its the old HX silver, not the modern one.

Agree, once I realized how old this PSU was I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new one before trying it out.

 

You guys seem to know what's up...any suggestions on a good 750-850W PSU?  I don't need a lot of wattage for this build. I typically buy EVGA or Corsair.

[Spotty]

6 hours ago, ArkahmAsylym said:

Agree, once I realized how old this PSU was I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new one before trying it out.

 

You guys seem to know what's up...any suggestions on a good 750-850W PSU?  I don't need a lot of wattage for this build. I typically buy EVGA or Corsair.

You said in the other thread you had an EVGA G1+ 750w? That has two 8pin EPS cables.

[ArkahmAsylym]

15 hours ago, Spotty said:

You said in the other thread you had an EVGA G1+ 750w? That has two 8pin EPS cables.

Correct, I was using an EVGA. Unfortunately it looked like my EVGA had a short or something. I think it may have fried my HDD's. The corsair HX1050 was another PSU I had and wanted to see if it worked.  The Corsair was also my test bed PSU. These PSU's are just too old.  Time to brake open the bank and just buy a new one.  I still firmly believe in EVGA and Corsair as good PSU's but I think I'm going to get a new Platinum EVGA 750 unless I get any other suggestions.  I noticed the sticky post in the forum here and it lists them as tier 1 PSU's.

[Spotty]

30 minutes ago, ArkahmAsylym said:

Correct, I was using an EVGA. Unfortunately it looked like my EVGA had a short or something. I think it may have fried my HDD's.

Were you using the original SATA power cables that came with the EVGA PSU? Or were you using those green sleeved ones? Any chance you might have mixed up the cables between the Corsair and EVGA units? Looking at photos of the two units it appears PSU side the modular peripheral cables use the same keying, so it would be possible to accidentally plug them in to the wrong unit. I haven't been able to confirm the pin out used on the two PSUs, but if the cables aren't compatible and they were mixed up it could explain why all your HDDs died. Could have been other issues as well.

 

33 minutes ago, ArkahmAsylym said:

  I still firmly believe in EVGA and Corsair as good PSU's but I think I'm going to get a new Platinum EVGA 750 unless I get any other suggestions.  I noticed the sticky post in the forum here and it lists them as tier 1 PSU's.

Yeah, the EVGA P2 PSUs are good and would be suitable for your dual socket system. Just make sure you only use the cables that come with that PSU and don't mix them up with the cables from your other PSUs.

[ArkahmAsylym]

3 hours ago, Spotty said:

Were you using the original SATA power cables that came with the EVGA PSU? Or were you using those green sleeved ones? Any chance you might have mixed up the cables between the Corsair and EVGA units? Looking at photos of the two units it appears PSU side the modular peripheral cables use the same keying, so it would be possible to accidentally plug them in to the wrong unit. I haven't been able to confirm the pin out used on the two PSUs, but if the cables aren't compatible and they were mixed up it could explain why all your HDDs died. Could have been other issues as well.

 

Yeah, the EVGA P2 PSUs are good and would be suitable for your dual socket system. Just make sure you only use the cables that come with that PSU and don't mix them up with the cables from your other PSUs.

I might have mixed up the cables but I did confirm that the EVGA PSU was FUBAR.  It was old and needed to be "recycled" anyway.  I went out to Fry's electronics today and although they didn't have EVGA, I bought a Corsair RM850x that was on the sticky post as tier 1.  I put it in and viola, everything is good now.  EVERYONE, thanks for all the incite, information and help with this, even if it was as simple as getting a new PSU.