Discussing the CPU power on a motherboard is essential for understanding performance and compatibility.
Discussing the CPU power on a motherboard is essential for understanding performance and compatibility.
your asus strix z490 gaming board has both an 8-pin CPU socket and a 4-pin power connector. the extra 4-pin is typically for overclocking purposes, not just for power delivery. if you upgrade to an 11th or 12th generation i7/i9 processor, you’ll likely need the 4-pin connector for stable operation.
You might use both connections, but it’s probably unnecessary. The 8-pin connector works adequately by itself unless you’re attempting a significant overclock.
Your PSU only comes with an 8-pin EPS cable. If you're unsure about needing the additional 4-pin, stick with the 8-pin—it can handle up to 384W, which is more than enough for a 10400. For high-end chips like the Rocket Lake i7/i9, we can't confirm exact power needs, but it should be sufficient. The extra 4-pin is mainly for heavy overclocking (such as LN2), which won't work with standard air cooling or AIO setups. If your PSU has two EPS cables, it's fine to use both; the 4-pin isn't required.