CPU 4pin & 8pin question

ZakkOMatic · May 4, 2020

So recently I decided to build a pc and I went with a master cooler masterwatt 650 modular semi fanless PSU well the cpu connectors on that PSU have two 4pin connectors and not a 4pin and a 8pin connector. Well I went with a asus prime x570-p (so I can future proof a bit) a Ryzen 5 3600 and a gigabyte RX 5700 XT. I'm not a genius when it comes to custom pc building. But I know the basics of it. Well my MOBO has a 4pin and a 8pin cpu slots but like I mentioned my PSU only has 2x 4pin connections. Should I be okay to use just the 4pin CPU connector on my MOBO and use the other 4pin to put in the 8pin?

From my understanding the 8pin is for overclocking use and is unnecessary unless you plan to overclock. With my setup now I DONT plan on any OCing right away and when i do I'll upgrade my PSU most definitely. I'm mainly asking because a video of my MoBo I watched it showed him only plugging in the 4pin and leaving the 8pin empty but from reading the manual it says to (not) leave the 8pin unconnected because it "may" over heat. I'm just confused and worried I'll mess my new build up soon as I try to fire her up.

Btw I'm still waiting on my SSD and GPU to start my build so I haven't built my rig yet.

Thanks so much LLT community

Bombastinator · May 4, 2020

It used to be that cpu connectors were only ever 4 pin but CPUs got hotter and hotter so they started adding more of them. An 8 pin is two fours and is good for over 300w. An 8 pin and a 4 pin is 3 4s and almost never gets used for anything.
Plug the 2 4s into the 8 pin socket and leave the 3rd 4 pin alone because you won’t need more than what the 8 pins can give you anyway. You might not even need the second 4 pin but you got one so what the heck. Your current mobo should overclock just fine. Someone thinks it can handle more than 300+ watts. They might be delusional, but it will likely overclock on normal cooling just fine.