PCIe molex 12 V connector

[Handruin]

Do all motherboard that have PCI Express also have a 4 pin, 12 volt molex connector on the motherboard to give power to the PCIe devices?

My gigabyte board has this and the only info I can find in the user manual says this:

PCIE_12V (Power Connector)
The PCIE_12V power connector supplies extra power to the PCIE x 16 slot. Connect this
connector depending on your system requirements.

It doesn't tell me why I should or should not use this. Is it bad to leave a connection on it? How would I know if I do not need this? My video card had its own PCIe power connection, but now I have a temporary card that does not...

 

[Bozo]

I have seen that connector on a couple of motherboards. I always plug a connector into it, even if I don't use the x16 slot.

Seems okay, never had a problem.

Bozo :joker:

 

[mubs]

You should use it (feed power). Many motherboards require the additional power at this point. The manual for my DFI motherboard says if I don't plug this in, there will be stability problems.

 

[Handruin]

I guess I was just worried that it might damage cards using PCIe that don't have their own power connection. I left it connected and I'm using an ATi x1300 at the moment. I tried using my matrox card until it started hanging my machine. I'll have to wait until newegg gets me back a new card.

I have to say, it's nice having a passively cooled graphics card, my machine is so quiet.

 

[ddrueding]

I have to say, it's nice having a passively cooled graphics card, my machine is so quiet.

That is why I'm tempted to keep my 7950GT; it is the fastest passively cooled card out, AFAIK. I'm considering SLI-ing them before installing a leaf-blower into my machine.

 

[Mercutio]

The 8800-series cards have a really quiet cooling solution.
It's woefully inadequate to keeping the card cool under load, but it's very quiet.

 

[Dïscfärm]

Do all motherboard that have PCI Express also have a 4 pin, 12 volt molex connector on the motherboard to give power to the PCIe devices?

My gigabyte board has this and the only info I can find in the user manual says this:

PCIE_12V (Power Connector)
The PCIE_12V power connector supplies extra power to the PCIE x 16 slot. Connect this
connector depending on your system requirements. ...

If you are talking about the "square-ish" 4-pin (2x2) Molex power connector with 2 yellow and 2 black wires, that is a +12 volt microprocessor power connector. That connector was introduced at the beginning of the Pentium 4 era.

PCI Express power connectors are similar 6-pin (3x2) Molex connectors.

 

[Handruin]

If you are talking about the "square-ish" 4-pin (2x2) Molex power connector with 2 yellow and 2 black wires, that is a +12 volt microprocessor power connector. That connector was introduced at the beginning of the Pentium 4 era.

PCI Express power connectors are similar 6-pin (3x2) Molex connectors.

No, I'm talking about the standard 4-pin molex connector that is normally used to connect to EIDE hard drives or optical drives (all for power pins are in a row, or 1 x 4 configuration). This connection on the motherboard specifically says PCIe 12 volt and it was not around in the earlier Pentium 4 days.

 

[P5-133XL]

The answer is no. Matter of fact I've never seen a motherboard that required me to plug a molex connector into it. I have seen many molex to PCI-e 6 pin convertors that use a standard molex power connector off the PS to plug into a PCI-e video card. I've also seen many 4 pin (2x2) and 8 pin (2x4) connectors that plug into the MB from the PS but never direct molex to MB.

 

[Bozo]

The answer is no. Matter of fact I've never seen a motherboard that required me to plug a molex connector into it. I have seen many molex to PCI-e 6 pin convertors that use a standard molex power connector off the PS to plug into a PCI-e video card. I've also seen many 4 pin (2x2) and 8 pin (2x4) connectors that plug into the MB from the PS but never direct molex to MB.

Most Intel motherboards that have a PCI-e x16 slot have a molex connector on them. Been that way for about a year. I always plug a cable into it whether I use the slot or not.

Bozo :joker:

 

[Bozo]

The answer is no. Matter of fact I've never seen a motherboard that required me to plug a molex connector into it. I have seen many molex to PCI-e 6 pin convertors that use a standard molex power connector off the PS to plug into a PCI-e video card. I've also seen many 4 pin (2x2) and 8 pin (2x4) connectors that plug into the MB from the PS but never direct molex to MB.

Most Intel motherboards that have a PCI-e x16 slot have a molex connector on them. Been that way for about a year. I always plug a cable into it whether I use the slot or not.

Bozo :joker: