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I should have known better than to use a cable splitter.

InsufficientSleep

I'm just posting this as a heads-up to everyone using a cable splitter.   I work with electronics everyday and should have known not to use a splitter to power my gpu while overclocking. 

The reason I used it to begin with is because it was the only cable I had at hand at the moment and I thought " I'll replace it later when I start turning stuff up " .

So yeah... I forgot all about it until I was taking my PC apart before Xmas.  

I'll let the picture speak for itself.  

 

Corsair HX850i powering a OC Vega 64 card with a single 8 pin to 2x8 pin splitter. 

 

thumbnail_DSC_0642.thumb.jpg.d6c60e3dc8950997fc5e818fa644b948.jpg

 

thumbnail_DSC_0643.thumb.jpg.a05b7055db21c8503ffac43d24167e7c.jpg

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that's not a splitter if the stock cables also split into 2 PCIe 8pins. What is wrong is doing so with an AMD card since they have no control on power draw down the cables.

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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Which brand was that cable?

 

Aren't those cables usually completely "overkill" (not overkill but with a lot of headroom) aslong as you do not overclock with liquid nitrogen?

 

I've just skipped through the video of der8auer to mark the important timestamps, but I saw it a few month ago and it suggests that the cable should not be the problem, maybe the connector wos corroded beforehand?

 

He made the video with an 2080ti Strix with two 8 Pin Connectors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRVSGFjKf4E

1:02 Quick look at the pcie cables/connectors

9:48 Cables running at speck power @30°C cable temperatur (which is totally normal even in household wiring when running in the upper speck limits)

12:15 Only 2 12V cables and 2(more than two but i am not sur how many) ground wires remaining still no major problems

12:40 2 12V cables and 4 ground wires (can't disconnect more than 4 more information in the video, not an cable problem!)

 

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3 minutes ago, Chaftalie said:

Which brand was that cable?

 

 

 

 

CableMod , I don't remember if it was the Mesh or Flex type

 

11 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

that's not a splitter if the stock cables also split into 2 PCIe 8pins.

When one cable turnes into two cables I call it a splitter , because the cable splits ?.  But you are probably right ?

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Some rambling thoughts about that topis:

Spoiler

 

I think the upper limit on an really good water cooled Vega 64 is about 400 Watts (correct me if I am wrong)

lets ignore the power supply over the pcie connector.

 

400Watts @12V are about  34A

A 8 pin connector has 3 12V and 3 ground wires.

thats roughly 12A per cable.

 

A 18AWG wire floating in air I can easily run 16A over it (AWG ratings) .

 

That means the cable is completely fine the only problem is the connector and even the connector should be "fine" for that kind of load, slightly (more than double with 400W) out of spec.

After seeing the video from der8auer I never thought that a connector can fail like that at a load like that.

 

Was your card Watercooled?

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14 minutes ago, Caroline said:

heh

 

each cable can carry 225W so if your card uses more than that you should use two

Where did you get that number?

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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Yes it was watercooled.

I had to install the Vega card again since the 2080ti I got didn't work. The company that installed the water block messed up... so much for trying to save time letting other people do the job lol.  Anyways, I just did an auto overclock since I don't remember my old OC numbers. After the auto overclock and during a Time spy run it used 211W at max peak according to the Radeon Software. 

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According to that post here in the ltt forum https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/824111-max-power-a-pci-e-8-pin-can-deliver-from-the-psu/

the 8 Pin can handle about 325 Watts (molex specification) (~9A per wire , I thought I saw that 8 Pin connector with 13A limit on an Molex Datasheet but can't find that atm)

If you go with the ATX specification its just 150W (~4,2A per wire)


Some not interesting rambling:

Spoiler

 

lets round 211W up and use 250Watts.

 

250W is 100W out of spec, BUT the pcie slot should be delivering about 75 or less, lets assume it only delivers 50W.

--> thats only 50 over spec which is "only" 33% which is like "nothing" at least not for cables that could do a lot more in theory)

 

 

 

 

Are the contacts in the connector corroded or look different than other contacts?

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I will use 2 x 8 pin all the way from now on anyways.  Just wanted to give people a small eye opener  ?

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58 minutes ago, Caroline said:

isn't the 8pin 150W and 6pin 75W?

 

Also old seasonic PSUs came with a warning about that

The cables often split into 2 8pins, so 300w is expected (if not more)

 

58 minutes ago, InsufficientSleep said:

it used 211W

AMD cards can only read power draw of the main package, in your case the compute cores, maybe the memory controller (could be a separate reading). Others like VRM efficiency and GDDR5 is not included.

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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Your Corsair's stock cables use 16g wire for the PCIe.

 

Even Corsair's aftermarket individually sleeved cables use 16g.

 

Cablemod uses 18g.  :(

 

I don't think 16g wire would have gotten this hot.

 

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This is what I'm seeing here.


Since the discolored end was to the PSU and I noted the discolored wires are smaller than the ones below that's not discolored, themselves just discolored/affected by the heat that came from the smaller gauge wires.

I say that because the entire insulating sheath to the smaller ones are discolored, the larger wires only have it where the smaller ones are literally right next to them and parts of their sheathing apparently bubbled up from an external heat source - Which in this case would have been the smaller wires.

 

I'd have to say those wires are too small in gauge to carry the loads the GPU can place on them if stressed - And apparently it was placing a big load on them.

You did say you had been OC'ing the card and system in general.

 

Every PSU I have has it's PCI-E power plugs with the same gauge wiring used for all connections it has to the GPU.

 

"If you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask someone else first"..... Nirvana
"Whadda ya mean I ain't kind? Just not your kind"..... Megadeth
Speaking of things being "All Inclusive", Hell itself is too.

 

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