“I'm confused. The PSU has two CPU PCI E ports. Which one do I use? I don't want to plug in the wrong thing. One by itself and the other with 2. The top has two and the bottom has one and both are labeled the same. My old one isn't labeled like this.”
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Either one. Power supply unit has 2 ports because some motherboard manufacturers has 2 on their motherboard. Motherboards with Two CPU PSU Cable Inputs Major manufacturers like ASUS, MSI, and ASRock produce motherboards with two (or more, e.g., 8+4 pin or dual 8-pin) CPU power inputs. Target Audience: These boards are aimed at performance enthusiasts, gamers with high-end CPUs (like Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 series), and professional workstation or server users. Purpose: The second connector is not always mandatory for standard operation, but it is highly recommended to use both to distribute the power load and ensure stability, especially under heavy loads or during overclocking, to prevent overheating of the connectors and cables. Examples: ASUS: ROG Strix X870-F Gaming WiFi, ROG Maximus series. MSI: MEG X870E ACE MAX, MSI x670e Tomahawk. ASRock Rack/Supermicro: Server motherboards often feature multiple inputs (e.g., three 8-pin ATX12V connectors) to support extremely high-TDP server processors. Motherboards with One CPU PSU Cable Input The vast majority of consumer motherboards across all major brands (ASUS, MSI, ASRock, Gigabyte, etc.) come with a single 8-pin (or 4+4 pin) EPS power connector. Target Audience: These are standard motherboards for budget, mainstream, and even moderately high-end builds using CPUs with standard power requirements (e.g., many Intel Core i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 5/7 CPUs). Purpose: A single 8-pin connector is rated to deliver sufficient power (up to ~384W) for most CPUs running at stock speeds. Examples: Many B550, B650, H-series, and standard Z-series motherboards feature a single power input. In summary: The number of CPU power inputs is a design choice based on the intended use case and potential power draw. Most PSUs over 650W include at least two CPU power cables to support these dual-input motherboards.
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