What are benefits of motherboards with supplemental power connector for multi-GPU configurations?

[Bouowmx]

I have only run maximum 2 graphics cards on a single motherboard.

Spoiler: ASRock X99 OC Formula; Molex near bottom-left corner

Spoiler: EVGA X99 FTW K; PCI Express 6-pin ATX_PWR_6P near bottom-left corner

Spoiler: GIGABYTE GA-X99P-SLI; Molex ATX4P along left edge of image

Edit: Perhaps my opening statement implies I am looking for a new motherboard. I am not; this post is for my curiosity.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Those are 12v connectors for the CPU, not the GPU. These days, they're more standard than useful, but if you're overclocking the extra current can get you some additional stability.

 

[Bouowmx]

ASRock and EVGA say the supplemental power connectors are for multi-GPU configurations, in the manuals: https://imgur.com/a/lLpPV

Is splitting the power duties a tangible benefit though?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

ASRock and EVGA say the supplemental power connectors are for multi-GPU configurations, in the manuals: https://imgur.com/a/lLpPV

Weird.

Most GPUs you'd multi-GPU are going to have their own aux power connections. I guess if you were installing multiple low-end cards that had no external connectors but were drawing close to the (65w? 75w? If forget.) PCI-E slot maximum, then there'd be a benefit.

That would be an odd configuration though.

Is splitting the power duties a tangible benefit though?

In a single rail PSU? Not really. In a multiple-rail PSU, yes.

Theoretically, it also keeps your from pulling too many amps on a particular wire and risking a fire, but you'd have to have a cheap PSU with crap cabling for that to be a reasonable problem.

 

[Yeroon]

Those are 12v connectors for the CPU, not the GPU. These days, they're more standard than useful, but if you're overclocking the extra current can get you some additional stability.

Most GPUs you'd multi-GPU are going to have their own aux power connections. I guess if you were installing multiple low-end cards that had no external connectors but were drawing close to the (65w? 75w? If forget.) PCI-E slot maximum, then there'd be a benefit.

The molex at the pcie slots is definitely for the GPUs, and not to be confused the the 4 or 8 pin plug by the cpu vrms.

Any PCIE device is allowed 75w of power from the pcie, regardless of use/price tier. Supplying 4 x 75w from a few pins of the ATX plug through the mb traces could cause current overload issues, so its best to split the current flow by adding the extra molex (or any of the better plug choices available to a mb vendor). Typically, this is added for mining type of boards where max pcie slot usage/full power per card is common.