gpu PCIe cables help

[BartM]

hi, this is my first time asking a question here.

i recently built my own PC and i am using my old GPU, gt 630 1GB and everything is fine, but i just bought a used GPU (asus AMD eah6850 1GB) and i want to test it out to see if its better than my gt 630, because it was only 20 dollars. my problem is that i accidentally bought a psu without any PCIe cables, and the AMD graphics card needs 2 6pin connectors. my psu has 2 free molex connectors, and i found an adapter that is from 2 molexes to an 8pin pci, and then another adapter that is 8 pin to 2x 6+2pin pci, so logically it would all connect fine, using the 2 adapters together, but would it be possible and run okay? i searched how many watts my PC would use with that GPU and it said only 370, and i have a 500 watt psu, so to me i think everything should be fine for now until i can afford a better psu. also the graphics card is from like 2011 so i think my 2019 psu should handle it.

the specs are

ryzen 5 2600x

8gb ddr4 ram

asrock b450m-prof motherboard

120gb ssd

500 gb hdd

500w non-modular psu 80+ certificate

zotac gt 630 1gb vram

 

i am saving money to get the rx 570 8gb but i am just using my old one for now.

[minibois]

1 minute ago, BartM said:

i found an adapter that is from 2 molexes to an 8pin pci, and then another adapter that is 8 pin to 2x 6+2pin pci, so logically it would all connect fine, using the 2 adapters together, but would it be possible and run okay?

No, I cannot recommend using Molex at all for a high power device like a videocard. Certainly not with another adapter added to it.

[BartM]

3 minutes ago, minibois said:

No, I cannot recommend using Molex at all for a high power device like a videocard. Certainly not with another adapter added to it.

well i feel like it should work OK because this video card is old and probably doesn't need much power

[Alex Atkin UK]

6 minutes ago, BartM said:

hi, this is my first time asking a question here.

i recently built my own PC and i am using my old GPU, gt 630 1GB and everything is fine, but i just bought a used GPU (asus AMD eah6850 1GB) and i want to test it out to see if its better than my gt 630, because it was only 20 dollars. my problem is that i accidentally bought a psu without any PCIe cables, and the AMD graphics card needs 2 6pin connectors. my psu has 2 free molex connectors, and i found an adapter that is from 2 molexes to an 8pin pci, and then another adapter that is 8 pin to 2x 6+2pin pci, so logically it would all connect fine, using the 2 adapters together, but would it be possible and run okay? i searched how many watts my PC would use with that GPU and it said only 370, and i have a 500 watt psu, so to me i think everything should be fine for now until i can afford a better psu. also the graphics card is from like 2011 so i think my 2019 psu should handle it.

the specs are

ryzen 5 2600x

8gb ddr4 ram

asrock b450m-prof motherboard

120gb ssd

500 gb hdd

500w non-modular psu 80+ certificate

zotac gt 630 1gb vram

 

i am saving money to get the rx 570 8gb but i am just using my old one for now.

How did you manage to find a 500W PSU WITHOUT PCIe power connectors?

[bob345]

You most definitely will not want to use adapters to connect to the 4 pin molex. Those connectors are not rated for that kind of current. If it doesn't immediately kill the psu it will most certainly melt the connector/wire and possibly start a fire.

[jaslion]

2 minutes ago, BartM said:

well i feel like it should work OK because this video card is old and probably doesn't need much power

The hd 6850 consumes 130w on average so no that is not fine. Either way a 500w psu without pcie cables is a huge red flag and this is possibly a unit telling false claims and will most likely fail shortly after making an attempt to power the system possibly causing extra damage part from damaging/killing itself.

[minibois]

1 minute ago, BartM said:

well i feel like it should work OK because this video card is old and probably doesn't need much power

Don't do it.

A connector like molex is not made for this much power draw. These splitters are usually poorly made, or otherwise they will harm your PSU.

 

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1146690-i-should-have-known-better-than-to-use-a-cable-splitter/

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1155548-graphics-card-just-set-on-fire/

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1144092-why-you-shouldnt-use-a-well-made-4-pin-molex-to-628pin-pcie-adaptors/

 

You will either burn up either of the splitters or your PSU or your videocard (or multiple). See above for examples of that happening.

[BartM]

2 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

How did you manage to find a 500W PSU WITHOUT PCIe power connectors?

well when i was buying my parts i chose to spend the least money on a psu, but it had to have 80+ certificate. and i could've gotten one for the same price with a pci connector but i want thinking.

[BartM]

4 minutes ago, bob345 said:

You most definitely will not want to use adapters to connect to the 4 pin molex. Those connectors are not rated for that kind of current. If it doesn't immediately kill the psu it will most certainly melt the connector/wire and possibly start a fire.

im confused how people know that something bad will happen, like melting the wires

[Alex Atkin UK]

1 minute ago, minibois said:

Don't do it.

A connector like molex is not made for this much power draw. These splitters are usually poorly made, or otherwise they will harm your PSU.

 

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1146690-i-should-have-known-better-than-to-use-a-cable-splitter/

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1155548-graphics-card-just-set-on-fire/

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1144092-why-you-shouldnt-use-a-well-made-4-pin-molex-to-628pin-pcie-adaptors/

 

You will either burn up either of the splitters or your PSU or your videocard (or multiple). See above for examples of that happening.

Then again, they spent "as little as possible" on the PSU in the first place, so those are risks anyway.

NEVER spend "as little as possible" on a PSU!  I mean mine were fairly cheap, but I at least went for known brands.  I'd be very dubious that a PSU without PCIe connectors is anything but junk, the main reason to need that wattage is for GPUs so its probably much less powerful than claimed.

[BartM]

1 minute ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Then again, they spent "as little as possible" on the PSU in the first place, so those are risks anyway.

NEVER spend "as little as possible" on a PSU!  I mean mine were fairly cheap, but I at least went for known brands.  I'd be very dubious that a PSU without PCIe connectors is anything but junk, the main reason to need that wattage is for GPUs so its probably much less powerful than claimed.

OK i guess i will buy a better power supply, i just didn't want to say that because i have no money now and probably wont for a while.

[Alex Atkin UK]

Just now, BartM said:

OK i guess i will buy a better power supply, i just didn't want to say that because i have no money now and probably wont for a while.

Most of us will have been there, just best not to learn the hard way what buying a crap PSU can do.  I know I've personally been very lucky not to have anything blow up back when I first started building PCs with cheap parts.

[BartM]

 

Just now, BartM said:

OK i guess i will buy a better power supply, i just didn't want to say that because i have no money now and probably wont for a while.

in that case... anyone wanna send me like 10 dollars to my paypal? ive already got 15 

[bob345]

3 minutes ago, BartM said:

im confused how people know that something bad will happen, like melting the wires

Oh ive doe it a few times. As an electrical engineer, i don't even know how many pc power supplies i abused before getting a proper bench power supply.

[BartM]

2 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Most of us will have been there, just best not to learn the hard way what buying a crap PSU can do.  I know I've personally been very lucky not to have anything blow up back when I first started building PCs with cheap parts.

funny story.... i had a nice trusted 600watt psu that is used and i was gonna put it in my new PC, and when i did i was really stupid and plugged the 6pin pci that it had into my 8pin to power the CPU, once i pressed the on button sparks shot out and broke the psu and my electricity in my house went out lol. i didn't read any manuals or anything so i didn't know what to do, and it turns out that you could also use a 4 pin connector for the CPU, and that is now what im doing.

[Alex Atkin UK]

14 minutes ago, BartM said:

im confused how people know that something bad will happen, like melting the wires

It might not, but a 500W PSU without PCIe connectors sets off warning bells to me as its something I would expect to be standard for a REAL 500W PSU.  Makes me worry that its a 250W that has been rebadged or something.

[BartM]

1 minute ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

It might not, but a 500W PSU without PCIe connectors sets off warning bells to me as its something I would expect to be standard for a REAL 500W PSU.

understood