GPU PCI cable questions.

[Chaosolous]

I'm looking into starting to upgrade my rig. My hardware knowledge is meh so I could use some input.

For reference I'm running:

Windows 10
GTX 1660 SUPER
i5 11400f
and
16GB RAM

I'm really interested in upgrading my GPU sooner than later. My current motherboard is only compatible up to the RTX 3070 (from what I've seen online). I'm more than likely going to be buying this RTX 3060[www.newegg.com] from NewEgg. It legit has double the VRAM of my 1660.

I opened my rig up and looked at my motherboard, the pins for connecting the GTX 1660 Super are a 6 Pin PCI (maybe PCI+ something else, IDR).

My Question

Alright, so the RTX 3060 looks to have two PCI cables (from what I've seen online, maybe I'm being dumb) and one is an 8 pin PCI and another is a 6 Pin PCI with two other like, extra pins attached to it on the side.

Am I going to be able to just plug in that 6 pin PCI where my 1660 Super is plugged in now and that'll be it or am I missing something?

Basically, can the RTX 3060 run off the 6 Pin PCI port I have or have I not done compatibility comparisons correctly?

Buying a GPU I can't use will make me sad. I wanna make sure I can use it.

For reference here is the site I used for compatibility comparisons: https://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Acer-Predator-PO3-630/241610#Compatibility

(Don't hate on my prebuilt, I'm tryin' here, it was my first dip into PC gaming.)

Thanks for your time.

[Chaosolous]

Also Bonus Question

Would a 3070 with 8GB VRAM be better than a 3060 with 12GB VRAM?

I'm not familiar enough with the differences to know why a 3070 with 8GB VRAM would be better than a 3060 with 12GB.

[_I_]

look at the cables coming from the psu

6pin, only requires 2x 12v pins and 3x ground pins, can be thinner gage, 75w max
6+2 requires 3x 12v pins and 5x ground pins, 150w max

never use the chained connectors for gpu pci-e

3070 is a stronger gpu, but less vram hurts it in other areas

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

Your CPU is not that bad so you can easily use RTX 4070. Cards like ASUS Dual and MSI Ventus 2X OC use only one 8-pin connector.
Some of the more heavily factory overclocked versions of 4070 and all the 4070 Super versions use 12+4 pin connector.

[andy.collins82]

With your PSU its not just the watts you need to look at but the ampage as well. You'll need to make sure you've got a minimum of 45 amps on the 12 volt rail (look on the side of your PSU to find this out). If you PSU is 80+ bronze certified or above you've got no worries, but the cheaper not certified PSU's can be lacking in this area.

Made this mistake myself and lost my motherboard because the PSU popped the power draw was to much.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Messaggio originale di Chaosolous:

Also Bonus Question

Would a 3070 with 8GB VRAM be better than a 3060 with 12GB VRAM?

I'm not familiar enough with the differences to know why a 3070 with 8GB VRAM would be better than a 3060 with 12GB.

3070 better, but not worth its pricing.

Better choices would be RTX 3080 10GB or 12GB
Or AMD 7800 XT / 7900 GRE

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Messaggio originale di SassyUra♥:

Here's what you should do:

Stop using ChatGPT.

[_I_]

Messaggio originale di cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Messaggio originale di SassyUra♥:

Here's what you should do:

Stop using ChatGPT.

:winterbunny2023:

^ this
chat ai lies so much just to give an answer

[Bad 💀 Motha]

If your PSU does not offer 4x 6+2 pin GPU connections you most likely have a terrible PSU already and should get a better one.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Messaggio originale di _I_:

Messaggio originale di cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Stop using ChatGPT.

^ this
chat ai lies so much just to give an answer

nvm... Mods deleted the mass spam.

[Chaosolous]

Messaggio originale di Bad 💀 Motha:

If your PSU does not offer 4x 6+2 pin GPU connections you most likely have a terrible PSU already and should get a better one.

I do think that my current PSU is underpowered currently if I were to upgrade. I'm almost sure I will have to get a new PSU when I get the GPU.

I haven't gone back and opened my tower back up yet though, I'll have to check over the weekend.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

One of the quickest ways to point towards a "I have a poor and/or oudated PSU" scenario is if you have a GPU connector that is hard-wired for 6pin and is not a 6+2 break-away connector.

And basically no Gaming PC should really be running a PSU below approx 600W Gold Certified from a reputable brand. These would at the very least have 2x 6+2pin connectors, which is not too bad if the wattage is more then enough and those 2 connectors is all you need. It's not like we are doing multi-GPU configs anymore with CrossFire/SLI/NVLINK

But at the worst of it all you "might" want to have at least 650-750 watt PSU to cover you for a future build or upgrading the current PC. Most decent Gold or Platinum PSUs of around 750W or higher would usually provide 4x 6+2pin connectors for any GPU needs.

Some builds you might need 850W minimum as its usually this kind of a step with PSUs that offer 2x 4+4pin connectors for the Motherboard (EPS) connections.