Legit Reviews

Just received my XFX 280 graphics card today. My power supply is a pc power and cooling 750 silencer. It only has one 8 pin connector. The card requires one 8 pin pci and one 6 pin pci connector. My 8 pin connector is attached to my motherboard and I can't switch it out because it is a extreme chip that is overclocked.

My question is: Will I need a new power supply for the graphics card to work or is there a workaround? And if no workaround what power supply do I need?

Need to get back in the game!

That card is a folding monster as I'm sure you saw in my article on it. just need to pick up an adapter... You can either use the 6-pin PCI Express to dual 8-pin PCIe or the pair of molex connectors to 8-pin adapter.

This is prolly what you need: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6812198016

I have two 6 pin pci connectors free from the power supply. Can I use the two of them instead of a 6 and 8 pin pci connector. Do I really have to order that part?

from what I've seen in pics and read then Yes you would need that part..which is nice to know about since im aiming to get one of these in the near future..that's if my current psu can hang with it..in your case, it would beat buying a new unit itself

posted this in the other thread... but here it is again. Don't give up on that PSU. It's a monster. I have one in my antec 900, and another in my antec 300. For normal requirements, I couldn't imagine using any other supply.

https://shop.pcpower.com/accessories/6- ... apter.html

If you have 2 6 pin connectors, you could use that adapter to make one into an 8 pin. Sorry you are having trouble getting things lined out, but don't give up on us. Team 1 FTW!!!

I have stopped folding until I figure this out. If I need a new power supply, the graphics card is going back. I saw the workarounds and I think that they are just that. The gtx 280 needs a lot of power. I think that we as consumers are being misinformed on the power requirements of this card and that most power supplies today can't handle the card. I just don't think that people are aware of this.

Riddle me this? Don't you think that Nvidia would have included a 10 dollar part that cost them maybe 1 dollar to produce to get their card to work? What are they trying to hide?

WEll...not to rain on anyone but i do seem to recall reading about it when it was first released if not before release..so...I mean..it's a catch 22 in a way so if one didn't read on it..then well..it's on the consumer on that one..they list it as having a 6 and 8 pin hook up....could they have included the adapter..yes i think that would've been nice for that much money...but..Honestly I read it everywhere the 280 need s an 8 pin too..so as far as being misinformed..I didn't see it..but maybe im blind....like mentioned..i have read it needs an 8 pin in almost every article(that ive seen) about the 280..and wasn't tryin to rain on ya..

vbironchef, your PCP&C PSU has 60A on the 12v rail. That is 720W of power for just the 12v components. That is going to be plenty for the 280GTX. Hell it could even power three 280GTX's.

According to here [The truth about graphics hardware requirements], the 280GTX uses 46W on idle, and 183W on load.
Even if it used twice that, and your system was quad core etc, you would still not max out that PSU.

So using an adaptor will work fine. There is no chance of overloading a rail as your PSU isn't multi 12v rail (which is a good thing).

The only reason that the PSU doesn't already have an 8pin PCIE connector is because it was designed before 8pin PCIE connectors were needed on graphics cards. In fact, I think that the 750 Quad Silencers actually now ship with adaptors in the box. It sucks that you have to spend more money on buying an adaptor, but it's tough love.

You could always ghetto mod a 6pin into a 8pin by getting some wire and making two extra pins by looping the two wires to the backs of the existing PCIe black grounds.

Dan

vbironchef wrote:I have stopped folding until I figure this out. If I need a new power supply, the graphics card is going back. I saw the workarounds and I think that they are just that. The gtx 280 needs a lot of power. I think that we as consumers are being misinformed on the power requirements of this card and that most power supplies today can't handle the card. I just don't think that people are aware of this.

I'm using an adapter on my Corsair HX620W power supply and it's running a GTX 280 just fine... A silencer 750 should be fine as well! Actually I have one of those PSU's here and tested it... works fine with the adapter.

I called pc power and cooling tech. site. They also said that the adapter would be fine. In fact they are going to send me one for FREE.

Now that is some good customer service ^_^

Dan

This post brought a tear to my eye.. I had a bad feeling I would have to get a new psu but now I know mine can handle it(since Apop's 620 is handling it fine) :)..Good to hear yours is good to go

Dan wrote:You could always ghetto mod a 6pin into a 8pin by getting some wire and making two extra pins by looping the two wires to the backs of the existing PCIe black grounds.

try it i shall, i have a 235W PSU i can rip some wires from for it *makes a PCIe adapter into frankenstein*

i'll report back

Make sure you connect them to two separate black (ground) wires as to not put too much strain on just one wire.

I wonder if there is a 2 pin bit of the plastic (like off the 24pin or 4 pin or something) that you can cut off that will fit (so is keyed correctly) into the extra connector on the pcie 8pin.

Dan

I love happy endings.

ghetto mod with two pins from 20pin connector= fail, it is as it should be plugged in, yet it did not work, still no video, still the double beep, must'nt be enough on the 12v+ rails

and just for future reference: im glad you didnt try to use that one for your cpu! they are two different connectors and that might of ended badly! thankfully they are keyed differently to prevent people from making the same mistake

vbironchef wrote:I called pc power and cooling tech. site. They also said that the adapter would be fine. In fact they are going to send me one for FREE.

Outstanding customer service, yet another reason I won't buy or recommend anything but PCP&C. Did you ask for overnight service so you can get that card folding ASAP? With Nate joining Team 2, we need the backup.