Building PC. Baffled by power connectors.

[a_chap]

I haven't built a PC for a Very Long Time and things seem to have become waaay more complicated since then.

I'm upgrading from my current PC (3rd generation Intel I5) to a 13th generation I5. I'm hoping I'll notice some improvement in performance.

So I've bought all the parts for a new PC and I'm plugging it all together but I'm perplexed at one set of power connectors.

The new motherboard has two connectors labelled CPU_PWR1 and CPU_PWR 2



One is 8 pin. The other four pin.

The power supply (which would seem to be capable of supplying a small village!) has one cable which splits into two 8 pin plugs both labelled "CPU".



One of the 8 pin connectors clearly can split into two four pin connectors.

What the heck do I do? Which damn bit do I plug into which?

Please don't tell me to RTFM as each manual for every single component in this build is UTTTERLY FUCKING USELESS

Oh, and the PSU also has more cables in a bag and a bunch of sockets as it is a modular PSU. Not sure if that's at all relevant.

Thanks in advance for any helpful information.

 

[souljacker]

You should only need to plug 8 pins into CPU_POWER1. You only need the second power connected if you are overclocking massively and the CPU needs the extra power.

 

[souljacker]

Actually, been doing some further reading and some people say that if you have another 4 pins available, you should plug that in too.

The real test would be to plug in the POWER1 and see if it boots.

 

[a_chap]

Ok, but if I was to plug something into PWR2, which bit of the eight-pin plug (which splits into two four pin plugs) do I use?

p.s. I will not be overclocking anything. People who do that always struck me just plain uncivilised...

 

[Almor]

It's ages since I built a pc too, but Wikipedia pages on the ATX form factor and/or computer PSU have loads of information about connectors, possibly too much information unless you know exactly what atx form factor you have, but the two 4 pin connectors are probably 2 identical 12V rails?

 

[souljacker]

Ok, but if I was to plug something into PWR2, which bit of the eight-pin plug (which splits into two four pin plugs) do I use?

p.s. I will not be overclocking anything. People who do that always struck me just plain uncivilised...

Whichever one fits. They should both be the same though I think,

 

[a_chap]

Thanks both.

But having spent a king's ransom on this stuff phrases like "should both be the same", "probably identical" and "just plug it in and see what happens" aren't exactly the cast-iron, copper-bottomed guarantees I was hoping for...

 

[souljacker]

Thanks both.

But having spent a king's ransom on this stuff phrases like "should both be the same", "probably identical" and "just plug it in and see what happens" aren't exactly the cast-iron, copper-bottomed guarantees I was hoping for...

I only build PCs when I need them, so once every 6 or 7 years. Personally, I'd check the manual to be sure

 

[two sheds]

If it helps they confused the hell out of me when I tried to build one, too ...



no didn't think it would help

 

[a_chap]

Personally, I'd check the manual to be sure

If I may refer you to my earlier comment...

"Please don't tell me to RTFM as each manual for every single component in this build is UTTTERLY FUCKING USELESS "

 

[souljacker]

If I may refer you to my earlier comment...

"Please don't tell me to RTFM as each manual for every single component in this build is UTTTERLY FUCKING USELESS "

As useless as the manual is, I'm pretty sure the info is in there somewhere.

 

[Elpenor]

If I may refer you to my earlier comment...

"Please don't tell me to RTFM as each manual for every single component in this build is UTTTERLY FUCKING USELESS "

At least no-one has told you to try to turn it off and on again

 

[a_chap]

At least no-one has told you to try to turn it off and on again

I'm currently trying to figure out where the bloody front panel on/off switch lead connects to.

But, in all honesty, I'm delighted to find that I've bought an inclusive motherboard as it has a JRAINBOW connector

Still can't find the fucking on/off switch though.

 

[two sheds]

I did find the on/off switch connectors - labeled on the motherboard in the manual as I recall - my on/off switch failed and I couldn't get it out so I bought another one and connected it up it worked.

 

[Almor]

Thanks both.

But having spent a king's ransom on this stuff phrases like "should both be the same", "probably identical" and "just plug it in and see what happens" aren't exactly the cast-iron, copper-bottomed guarantees I was hoping for...

Fair point

Probably won't help to point out that the connectors should all be made in a 'if it fits it works' way either

Are the motherboard and psu manuals on line? For some proxy RTFM

 

[Cid]

Front i/o is usually on the bottom right of the m/b... Looks like this:

 

[Cid]

I hate to say it, but you do often need to rtfm with these things... What motherboard and CPU is it?

 

[Cid]

Also you can check out e.g Linus tech tips forums, this is the absolute basics for them.

With the 8 pin it's just about the wattage your CPU needs... The ones for the CPU can carry upwards of 300w so very unlikely you'd need the 4 pin.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Front i/o is usually on the bottom right of the m/b... Looks like this:

Why the fuck is this still a thing? I built my first PC in quite a while last year and it had me scratching my head what decade century I thought I was in.

Couldn't we just have a USB C connection on the motherboard?

 

[mauvais]

For power, it doesn't matter which you plug in - i.e. first or second cable into CPU_PWR1 and then vice versa for _2. If you look at what they connect to on the PSU, assuming it's modular, then you might find those have numbered labels and then you can make things consistent. But it doesn't actually matter.

 

[a_chap]

Right, so thank you for all the suggestions.

I'm especially grateful to everyone who suggested I RTFM. Your names are now on a list.

I have successfully assembled the damn thing. And I now know why they recommend you attach the monstrously large CPU cooler to the motherboard before bolting the motherboard to the case. Me, being me, did it the other way round

However I hit a small stumbling block when I came to power it on. You see all of my monitors have either VGA or DVI plugs. The motherboard, naturally, has HDMI and DisplayPort sockets.

There isn't enough room for the number of face palm emojis I ought to post.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Right, so thank you for all the suggestions.

I'm especially grateful to everyone who suggested I RTFM. Your names are now on a list.

I have successfully assembled the damn thing. And I now know why they recommend you attach the monstrously large CPU cooler to the motherboard before bolting the motherboard to the case. Me, being me, did it the other way round

However I hit a small stumbling block when I came to power it on. You see all of my monitors have either VGA or DVI plugs. The motherboard, naturally, has HDMI and DisplayPort sockets.

There isn't enough room for the number of face palm emojis I ought to post.

Well the logical thing to do is buy a DVI adapter, but you've just built a new PC, so surely now is the time to treat yourself to that 34" Ultrawide screen?

Also I thought everyone had a large box of every display cable going and adapters for each one? No? Just me?

 

[a_chap]

DVI / VGS / HDMI / DisplayPort adapters are a thing? Hurrah!

In the mean time I've found an old graphics card which I think might fit, so I can test that the PC boots. The video card is a GE Force 210, which - for laughs - I've looked up of one of the comparison web sites.

Its performance is rated "Terrible". On one of the benchmark tests it scores 0.83 FPS.

However, I liked the positive spin they applied to the summary: "the Nvidia GeForce 210 performs superbly consistently under varying real world conditions". i.e. it's crap at everything all the time.

Edited to add: I wonder if there is anyone anywhere on the planet running a combination of an I5-13600K and a GeForce 210???

 

[UnderOpenSky]

DVI / VGS / HDMI / DisplayPort adapters are a thing? Hurrah!

In the mean time I've found an old graphics card which I think might fit, so I can test that the PC boots. The video card is a GE Force 210, which - for laughs - I've looked up of one of the comparison web sites.

Its performance is rated "Terrible". On one of the benchmark tests it scores 0.83 FPS.

However, I liked the positive spin they applied to the summary: "the Nvidia GeForce 210 performs superbly consistently under varying real world conditions". i.e. it's crap at everything all the time.

Try and avoid VGA ones as they have to convert an analogue signal to digital, but yes. In fact you can even get cables with an HDMI/Display Port on one end and a DVI on the other.

 

[two sheds]

Also I thought everyone had a large box of every display cable going and adapters for each one? No? Just me?

Mind you saying that I've just found a couple of video and USB adapters I needed in my large box of every display cable going and adapters for each one.

 

[a_chap]

An update.

I still don't have a working PC.

I am now on my second motherboard. And second processor.

It now gets past the POST but the fucking thing won't recognise the USB drives (yes, plural - I've tried many) so I can install the OS.



Edited to add: Oh, it's a known problem. From the Gigabyte website "Not able to install Windows (system does not recognize any drives)"

They helpfully tell me "Lack of Intel VMD driver will cause this issue when installing Windows with Intel VMD option enabled inside BIOS."

Just great.

 

[B.I.G]

An update.

I still don't have a working PC.

I am now on my second motherboard. And second processor.

It now gets past the POST but the fucking thing won't recognise the USB drives (yes, plural - I've tried many) so I can install the OS.



Edited to add: Oh, it's a known problem. From the Gigabyte website "Not able to install Windows (system does not recognize any drives)"

They helpfully tell me "Lack of Intel VMD driver will cause this issue when installing Windows with Intel VMD option enabled inside BIOS."

Just great.

Did you turn it off in the BIOS then?

 

[a_chap]

Did you turn it off in the BIOS then?

I haven't the foggiest. I've never seen such a convoluted, complicated BIOS. Ever.

I have turned off everything I can find that starts with "VM"

It still doesn't see the Windows USB stick.

Last week I was using an MSI Z690 motherboard. Now I've bought a Gigabyte Z690 motherboard. I'm genuinely starting to think it's Intel has it in for me.

[insert sobbing emoji]

 

[Artaxerxes]

Yeah trying to match yo CPUs and motherboards is what puts me off buying or making a PC more than once every half a dozen or more years.

 

[a_chap]

As someone was kind enough to "like" one of my earlier posts just now, I thought I'd give you lovely people an update.

I finally managed to get my PC working to full spec only yesterday. When I say "full spec" I mean with all the RAM installed.

I actually got it running 2 weeks ago but only with half the RAM. And then I was a bit too busy to transfer everything from old PC to new PC. So I really only started to use it in anger on Monday.

Why so long? I hear you ask.

Well, it turns out that all the problems I was having were caused by ONE of the four sticks of RAM being faulty. When I finally realised, I ordered replacements. They arrived Wednesday, I hammered them in on Thursday and lo! it flies...

However, I have a sneaking suspicion I might have over-spec'd it. Given that I mostly work with Microsoft 365 or watch the occasional video the new PC doesn't seem to be breaking much of a sweat.