Newb question on Power cables.. for 7970

[JBT]

How do you all power your video cards with two power connectors?

My PSU provides me two cables for video cards. Each cable has an 8 pin and a 6 pin.

Right now I have one of the cables plugged in via the 8 pin and then the other cable handles the 6 pin. (This is how I've always done it)

Or would it be fine to use a single cable for the 8 pin and 6 pin....

 

[ViRGE]

Ideally you want to balance the load. If you have 1 card and 2 cables, then you use 1 cable for each socket. If you have 2 cards, then you use 1 cable on each card.

 

[JBT]

Got it figured as much, and thats how I've always done it, just wanted to check.

 

[kidsafe]

Basically any PSU that provides a cable with an 6+2pin and a 6pin PEG on one cable is saying, "Yes I can provide stable VA / wattages for an HD 7970." If it can't actually provide that, then they have no business cabling that way.

If it's a single-rail PSU, using multiple cables really isn't going to do much...It reduces the minimal risk of your cables getting too warm I suppose.

If it's a multi-rail PSU, I still don't see any real-world benefit to running a second cable unless you have the weakest multi-rail PSU ever. Most multi-rail PSUs smartly put the motherboard and CPU power on one 12V rail and the PEGs on other 12V rails.