Building a new PC with components including the Asus TUF 9070XT OC graphics card, MSI Tomahawk B850 Max WiFi motherboard, MSI MAG A850GL PCIe5 II power supply, and Ryzen 9800X3D processor presents a cable management challenge. The power supply unit only includes two PCIe cables, and with both CPU power connectors occupied, just two PCIe connections remain available. Since purchasing an additional cable isn’t an option, the practical solution appears to be using a pigtail connection for the graphics card’s third power connector. This approach seems particularly necessary given that returning the unit would prove difficult due to my remote island location, far from the mainland retailer where it was purchased.
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Ah, the classic pigtail dilemma—I’ve been there with my own 4070 Ti build. It’s smart that you’re making it work with the two included PCIe cables, especially since returning it from a remote island sounds nearly impossible. I ran my card on a pigtail for months without issue, but I’m curious, have you noticed any coil whine or performance quirks under load with that setup?
Thanks for sharing your own pigtail experience with the 4070 Ti—it’s reassuring to hear it worked reliably for you. I haven’t noticed any coil whine or performance dips under load yet, which aligns with many builders finding pigtails sufficient for triple-connector cards when using a quality PSU like the A850GL. If you’re curious about monitoring stability, running a benchmark like 3DMark’s stress test can give you peace of mind on voltage delivery. Let me know if you have any other tips from your build, and I’ll share how mine holds up over time!
You can pigtail it; that’s acceptable.
It’s best not to use the second 8-pin CPU cable. It serves as a redundant power line for extreme overclocking, which is unnecessary, especially with a 9800X3D. You can safely leave it unplugged. The GPU is undoubtedly the most power-hungry component and must be powered properly for both performance and safety. For MSI motherboards, the primary 8-pin connector is typically on the right, but always check your motherboard manual to be sure. Let me know if you have more questions. Out of curiosity, where are you located?
You could use a PCIe cable from your previous PSU, or purchase a new one. Just be aware that shipping to the Azores can take time—my PSU took nearly a month to arrive.
You can easily use what you have. Don’t complain—the paradise where you live is worth some logistical inconvenience. I live in Sardinia, and it’s not much better here. Everything still arrives by sea, and shipping costs are absurd, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. The beauty of nature is priceless. Greetings from another islander. 😉
Your Corsair RM750 should be fine if it has all the necessary cables and connectors for your build. I understand not wanting to wait over a month for a new PSU and being without a PC.
Heavier items often ship by sea, which takes a while. I lived in England for almost three years before returning, and I don’t mind the lower wages here.