MOBO + PSU comparability?

Belac F · April 4, 2020

Hey guys, I'm planning to use the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC in my next build because of the bios flashback and bluetooth / wifi connectivity. But for every power supply in my pricepoint, im getting this error: Note:The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC ATX AM4 Motherboard has an additional 4-pin ATX power connector but the SeaSonic S12III 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply does not. This connector is used to supply additional 12V current to the motherboard. While the system will likely still run without it, higher current demands such as extreme overclocking or large video card current draws may require it.

im planning on running a 3700x with a overclocked 5600xt for light gaming and CAD design.

Will this be an issue, and does anyone know of a budget friendly PSU that has this feature?

mariushm · April 4, 2020

The additional 4 pin connector is OPTIONAL. If you insert a 4 pin cable besides the 8 pin cable, good, but the motherboard and processor will work perfectly fine without it.

In short, the processor consumes up to 200 watts (with heavy overclocking, maybe around 140w otherwise if used like a regular person) , the 8 pin connector is good up to around 300-350 watts, the 4 pin connector adds up to 150 watts to those 350 watts the 8 pin connector is rated for. So, even with just the 8 pin connector, you're barely going close to half of the maximum capability.

The 4 pin connector is there for users who want to do really heavy overclocking with liquid nitrogen, subzero methods, or which use 16 core processors with overclocking.

The Seasonic S12iii is perfectly fine, though if you plan to buy one, you could probably do a bit better these days (better performance for money, higher efficiency etc... quality wise it's good model, with long warranty and all that)