upgrading GPU with 8-pins power connector

[soundzen]

Hello Power Techies, i've recently upgraded to these following PC components:

- [CPU] i5-12600k 3.7ghz 10 Cores GLA1700
- [COOLER] Abysm Snow 4 Black 2 fans
- [MOBO] Asus Prime Z790M-plus D4
- [RAM] Kingston fury beast RGB 2x16gb ddr4-3600
- [SSD] M2 NVme Corsair MP600 core XT 1Tb

...the only components i've kept are: - [PSU] Seasonic Focus Plus 550W full modular / - [GPU] Gigabyte Geforce GTX 1660 super OC 6Gb Vram mini-ITX and all these inside a mini ATX tower - Cooler Master Q300L.

As the title says, i want to upgrade my GPU (while keeping my PSU as is) with a budget of 500$ and i've looked at Nvidia RTX 4060 of 8Gb Vram or even the Ti version if i can stretch the bills and afford myself 16Gb Vram.

The problem this noob is facing in ignorance, is how it is all connected between GPU and PSU ??? ...my MOBO has 1 slot Pci-e 5.0 x16 where the old GPU is slotted into (although its Interface is Pci-e 3.0 x16) but my PC works fine and i can play many games, so yay !!! Either the problem i come across is from the MOBO Pci-e slots or the GPU plugs.

QUESTION: --- what modern GPU requires only 550W and a 8-pins power connector (ASUS power supplies chart attached) ??? i've spend 3 days watching GPU Reviews, comparing Listings and reading Specs and many GPU force me to change my PSU - either because the GPU needs more than 550W or it doesn't accept a 8-pins plug because of the latest security-norms on PSU cables.

Basically, i want to keep my PSU cable-management in green sleeve and just plug&play a new GPU. (picture of my rig attached)

Thanks a bunch for any info on my dilemma.
Regards, Alexa.

PS: Nvidia first and Radeon second, in priority choice + Asus GPU brand to match MOBO, if possible...

 

[Chomiq]

Use TPU GPU database, find the chip you're interested in and then you'll have all models listed.

Example:

ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 Ti Specs

NVIDIA AD106, 2535 MHz, 4352 Cores, 136 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 8192 MB GDDR6, 2250 MHz, 128 bit

www.techpowerup.com

ASUS DUAL RTX 4070 Specs

NVIDIA AD104, 2475 MHz, 5888 Cores, 184 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 12288 MB GDDR6X, 1313 MHz, 192 bit

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Panther_Seraphin]

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 Ti OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 | Graphics Card | ASUS UK

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 Ti OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 is designed for broad compatibility, with a 2.5-slot design, Axial-tech fan design, 0dB technology, Auto-Extreme Technology, and more. Ultra-efficient NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture. Experience immersive, AI-accelerated gaming with ray...

www.asus.com

Probably the highest you are going to get. Its only the 4070s and above that seem to have been plauged by the 12VHPWR connector en mass.

Remember look at the review vs what the manufacturers state as they are VERY conservative on PSU requirements!!!

 

[soundzen]

Use TPU GPU database, find the chip you're interested in and then you'll have all models listed.

Example:

ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 Ti Specs

NVIDIA AD106, 2535 MHz, 4352 Cores, 136 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 8192 MB GDDR6, 2250 MHz, 128 bit

www.techpowerup.com

ASUS DUAL RTX 4070 Specs

NVIDIA AD104, 2475 MHz, 5888 Cores, 184 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 12288 MB GDDR6X, 1313 MHz, 192 bit

www.techpowerup.com

Hi and thank you @Chomiq for the links i've used prior and i've noticed the Bus Interface on the RTX 4060 Ti mentions a PCIe 4.0 x8 and im not sure my MOBO has one - let me double-check that.

The most compatible one about the PCI-E and the 8-Pins seems the RTX 4070 with 51mm height, so the only problem is the tight space because i have an internet board nearby... (my GPU gtx 1660 Super only has 35mm height).

Maybe i can get rid of my TP-Link wireless board (picture attached) and opt for an USB pen instead, hmm... trying to avoid the physical RJ45 mobo connection by running a 6m cable from my living room Modem to my PC next room.

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 Ti OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 | Graphics Card | ASUS UK

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 Ti OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 is designed for broad compatibility, with a 2.5-slot design, Axial-tech fan design, 0dB technology, Auto-Extreme Technology, and more. Ultra-efficient NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture. Experience immersive, AI-accelerated gaming with ray...

www.asus.com

Probably the highest you are going to get. Its only the 4070s and above that seem to have been plauged by the 12VHPWR connector en mass.

Remember look at the review vs what the manufacturers state as they are VERY conservative on PSU requirements!!!

Thanks @Panther_Seraphin it seems the RTX 4070 is the most adapted... except for my Internet Board right beneath my 35mm GPU, but i will find a solution ...need to!

_________________________________________________________________________________

...my mobo PCI-E jargon chart, looks like gibberish to me LOL
so, the gpu RTX 4060 Ti refers to a PCI-e 4.0 x8 (picture attached)

 

[Chomiq]

Hi and thank you @Chomiq for the links i've used prior and i've noticed the Bus Interface on the RTX 4060 Ti mentions a PCIe 4.0 x8 and im not sure my MOBO has one - let me double-check that.

You slot it into your first PCI-E slot, which is gen 4 x16, the card will be running at gen 4 x8 speed. You're good.

 

[soundzen]

hi, i apreciate for your time - by FIRST you mean the A / Gen5 slot at the top, nearest to the CPU ? (where my gtx1660 is actually slotted in) because i also have a Gen4 pci-e slot (B in mobo squematics) ...thats why im confused. forgive me!

 

[Chomiq]

hi, i apreciate for your time - by FIRST you mean the A / Gen5 slot at the top, nearest to the CPU ? (where my gtx1660 is actually slotted in) because i also have a Gen4 pci-e slot (B in mobo squematics) ...thats why im confused. forgive me!

Slot A.

 

[wNotyarD]

hi, i apreciate for your time - by FIRST you mean the A / Gen5 slot at the top, nearest to the CPU ? (where my gtx1660 is actually slotted in) because i also have a Gen4 pci-e slot (B in mobo squematics) ...thats why im confused. forgive me!

You won't ever have a problem running your card in a newer gen slot. So if you had an old school R7 260 or whatever, you'd still slot it in and have it running without issues.

Running on an older gen slot is technically compatible but you'd run into bandwidth issues, though, especially when few lanes are used (e.g. RX 6400 or 6500XT with their PCIe 4.0 x4 bus). When running on an older slot, performance drops significantly.

 

[Durvelle27]

Hello Power Techies, i've recently upgraded to these following PC components:

- [CPU] i5-12600k 3.7ghz 10 Cores GLA1700
- [COOLER] Abysm Snow 4 Black 2 fans
- [MOBO] Asus Prime Z790M-plus D4
- [RAM] Kingston fury beast RGB 2x16gb ddr4-3600
- [SSD] M2 NVme Corsair MP600 core XT 1Tb

...the only components i've kept are: - [PSU] Seasonic Focus Plus 550W full modular / - [GPU] Gigabyte Geforce GTX 1660 super OC 6Gb Vram mini-ITX and all these inside a mini ATX tower - Cooler Master Q300L.

As the title says, i want to upgrade my GPU (while keeping my PSU as is) with a budget of 500$ and i've looked at Nvidia RTX 4060 of 8Gb Vram or even the Ti version if i can stretch the bills and afford myself 16Gb Vram.

The problem this noob is facing in ignorance, is how it is all connected between GPU and PSU ??? ...my MOBO has 1 slot Pci-e 5.0 x16 where the old GPU is slotted into (although its Interface is Pci-e 3.0 x16) but my PC works fine and i can play many games, so yay !!! Either the problem i come across is from the MOBO Pci-e slots or the GPU plugs.

QUESTION: --- what modern GPU requires only 550W and a 8-pins power connector (ASUS power supplies chart attached) ??? i've spend 3 days watching GPU Reviews, comparing Listings and reading Specs and many GPU force me to change my PSU - either because the GPU needs more than 550W or it doesn't accept a 8-pins plug because of the latest security-norms on PSU cables.

Basically, i want to keep my PSU cable-management in green sleeve and just plug&play a new GPU. (picture of my rig attached)

Thanks a bunch for any info on my dilemma.
Regards, Alexa.

PS: Nvidia first and Radeon second, in priority choice + Asus GPU brand to match MOBO, if possible...

With a budget of $500, I would not recommend a RTX 4060. I'd shoot for a RX 7900 GRE or a RTX 4070 Super. Both should be fine with that PSU. Unless you are planning on overclocking.

 

[bonehead123]

With a budget of $500, I would not recommend a RTX 4060. I'd shoot for a RX 7900 GRE or a RTX 4070 Super. Both should be fine with that PSU. Unless you are planning on overclocking.

View attachment 350426

^^THIS^^

Cause....If ya wanna play, ya gotzta pay

Either go with 1 of the above cards, or save up till you can afford both a new card & PSU

 

[nomdeplume]

Also keep in mind your GPU power usage drops considerably with V-Sync turned on.

This might be very useful information if your 550w PSU struggles with transient spikes or any other aspect of real world power delivery.

Best of luck with your new build.

 

[soundzen]

With a budget of $500, I would not recommend a RTX 4060. I'd shoot for a RX 7900 GRE or a RTX 4070 Super. Both should be fine with that PSU. Unless you are planning on overclocking.

thanks @Durvelle27 and @bonehead123, but everything above the RTX4070 requires more than my 550W aka more money too LOL ...but yes, i get what you mean by "saving up" because prices will drop as new GPU come into market and there's always those Black Friday promotions in November, yay!

Also keep in mind your GPU power usage drops considerably with V-Sync turned on.

This might be very useful information if your 550w PSU struggles with transient spikes or any other aspect of real world power delivery.

Best of luck with your new build.

hi... merci bien @nomdeplume for the wishes - i try not to activate none of these "effects" while gaming and i'm not reaching for anything more than 1920x1080 which is the best resolution my old 27" can deliver

 

[Durvelle27]

thanks @Durvelle27 and @bonehead123, but everything above the RTX4070 requires more than my 550W aka more money too LOL ...but yes, i get what you mean by "saving up" because prices will drop as new GPU come into market and there's always those Black Friday promotions in November, yay!


hi... merci bien @nomdeplume for the wishes - i try not to activate none of these "effects" while gaming and i'm not reaching for anything more than 1920x1080 which is the best resolution my old 27" can deliver

You wouldn’t have to buy a new PSU

Hell you get more performance from the 79xx by undervolting and it will save even more power

Just with a large budget seems crazy to get only a 4060

 

[wNotyarD]

Hi and thank you @Chomiq for the links i've used prior and i've noticed the Bus Interface on the RTX 4060 Ti mentions a PCIe 4.0 x8 and im not sure my MOBO has one - let me double-check that.

The most compatible one about the PCI-E and the 8-Pins seems the RTX 4070 with 51mm height, so the only problem is the tight space because i have an internet board nearby... (my GPU gtx 1660 Super only has 35mm height).

Maybe i can get rid of my TP-Link wireless board (picture attached) and opt for an USB pen instead, hmm... trying to avoid the physical RJ45 mobo connection by running a 6m cable from my living room Modem to my PC next room.


Thanks @Panther_Seraphin it seems the RTX 4070 is the most adapted... except for my Internet Board right beneath my 35mm GPU, but i will find a solution ...need to!

_________________________________________________________________________________

...my mobo PCI-E jargon chart, looks like gibberish to me LOL
so, the gpu RTX 4060 Ti refers to a PCI-e 4.0 x8 (picture attached)

Forgot to mention this earlier, @soundzen, but you can move you wireless card to the lowest PCIe slot available - you aren't obliged to install it necessarily at the x1 slot - so you can move it to open space for a larger shrouded graphics card.
It won't look "elegant" and it will kinda be a waste of a full-lenght PCIe slot, but if you wouldn't use it otherwise why would it matter anyway?

 

[soundzen]

You wouldn’t have to buy a new PSU

Hell you get more performance from the 79xx by undervolting and it will save even more power

Just with a large budget seems crazy to get only a 4060

great ! no new psu thats my wish... but from checking the database here of the radeon RX7900 - which is for a 600$ budget - the problem i see is that it requires 2x 8pins power connectors, when i only have 1 on my gtx 1660

Forgot to mention this earlier, @soundzen, but you can move you wireless card to the lowest PCIe slot available - you aren't obliged to install it necessarily at the x1 slot - so you can move it to open space for a larger shrouded graphics card.
It won't look "elegant" and it will kinda be a waste of a full-lenght PCIe slot, but if you wouldn't use it otherwise why would it matter anyway?

thanks, the wifi card is sloted on the only available "short" Pcie and i dont see another one free, on the mobo apart the Gen4 Pcie x12)... its sandwished between the psu and the gpu, poor thing LOL

 

[wNotyarD]

great ! no new psu thats my wish... but from checking the database here of the radeon RX7900 - which is for a 600$ budget - the problem i see is that it requires 2x 8pins power connectors, when i only have 1 on my gtx 1660


thanks, the wifi card is sloted on the only available "short" Pcie and i dont see another one free, on the mobo apart the Gen4 Pcie x12)... its sandwished between the psu and the gpu, poor thing LOL

If you're gonna be hard set by a single 8-pin power connector, then look no further than a 4060Ti 8GB (the 16GB version is hardly worth it). It will be an enormous upgrade over your 1660.
If you then want to stick with ASUS, just save yourself the cash and DO NOT get a Strix, it's overkill. I'd argue that even the TUF cooler is surplus to requirements of a 4060Ti, but the TUF line got an earthly price compared to the Strix.

 

[Durvelle27]

great ! no new psu thats my wish... but from checking the database here of the radeon RX7900 - which is for a 600$ budget - the problem i see is that it requires 2x 8pins power connectors, when i only have 1 on my gtx 1660


thanks, the wifi card is sloted on the only available "short" Pcie and i dont see another one free, on the mobo apart the Gen4 Pcie x12)... its sandwished between the psu and the gpu, poor thing LOL

Your PSU has a spot for 2x 8PIN

 

[soundzen]

If you're gonna be hard set by a single 8-pin power connector, then look no further than a 4060Ti 8GB (the 16GB version is hardly worth it). It will be an enormous upgrade over your 1660.
If you then want to stick with ASUS, just save yourself the cash and DO NOT get a Strix, it's overkill. I'd argue that even the TUF cooler is surplus to requirements of a 4060Ti, but the TUF line got an earthly price compared to the Strix.

ok, thanks @wNotyarD for the warning about the STRIX and the TUF version (RTX4060ti connections picture)

Your PSU has a spot for 2x 8PIN

indeed @Durvelle27 by the attached PSU datasheet.
So i will add the Radeon RX 7900 GRE to my 600$ new Wishlist, alongside the RTX 4070 (LOL my budget just went up 100$)
Thanks all, really appreciate the help!

 

[Durvelle27]

ok, thanks @wNotyarD for the warning about the STRIX and the TUF version (RTX4060ti connections picture)


indeed @Durvelle27 by the attached PSU datasheet.
So i will add the radeon RX7900XT to my 600$ new Wishlist, alongside the RTX4070 (LOL my budget just went up 100$)
Thanks all, really appreciate the help!

I actually had mentioned RX 7900GRE not 7900XT. They are different GPUs and the 7900GRE is much cheaper but offers amazing price to performance.

 

[soundzen]

got it, going to edit my post, sorry!

 

[QuietBob]

Your CPU consumes close to 200 W when fully loaded, and the rest of your PC will take another 50 W or so. That leaves you with about 300 W for the GPU.

When comparing different cards, the figure you should be mindful of is the momentary maximum power consumption, aka transient spikes. I would not recommend a card that spikes higher than 300 W with your current power supply:

 

[soundzen]

Your CPU consumes close to 200 W when fully loaded, and the rest of your PC will take another 50 W or so. That leaves you with about 300 W for the GPU.

When comparing different cards, the figure you should be mindful of is the momentary maximum power consumption, aka transient spikes. I would not recommend a card that spikes higher than 300 W with your current power supply:

ohh shoot forgot about momentary spikes, thanks @QuietBob for the alert ! so the Radeon is bit too much, leaving me with only the RTX 4070 (which my psu 550W is enough and solves my pci-e connectors dillema).

i will double check all this data and keep on saving money

thank you all, once more for help today, ive learned so much and got many doubts resolved. goodbye old gpu LOL

---- THREAD CLOSED ----

 

[soundzen]

got a nice price on a psu Corsair RM750 white, so power consumption and spikes is less of a problem... even if i manage to save up for the gpu RTX4070 (fingers crossed)

 

[BattleMythic]

got a nice price on a psu Corsair RM750 white, so power consumption and spikes is less of a problem... even if i manage to save up for the gpu RTX4070 (fingers crossed)

RTX 3080 Ti's are selling for under $500 USD on ebay right now. It's faster than the 4070 in raster and has 12GB of vram. It might be worth considering the RTX 3080 12GB also.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

got a nice price on a psu Corsair RM750 white, so power consumption and spikes is less of a problem... even if i manage to save up for the gpu RTX4070 (fingers crossed)

4070 would have been fine with your old psu it draws like 180w but a quality psu is never a bad investment.