Is this a hidden mystery about the Z690 dual 8-pin connector?
Is this a hidden mystery about the Z690 dual 8-pin connector?
Hi everyone! I own a new Z690 (MSI) with an i5 12600K. My PSU failed yesterday, so I replaced it with an Asus Strix 750W Gold unit. Previously, the old PSU only had one 8-pin connector for the board. When I connected both CPU power connectors, the computer didn’t start. After four hours of frustration, I tried using just one 8-pin connector, and it worked! Everything seems normal now, but I’m confused about what happened and how much time was lost. Anyone have any ideas or explanations? I really hope you can help me understand this! BR, Nicolas
Does the remaining eight pin correspond to the CPU? It’s possible the board discarded it due to compatibility issues with that processor. I haven’t encountered this before.
I found it surprising the motherboard and a 750-watt PSU both have dual 8-pin EPS connectors. That’s a lot of power available. The motherboard only uses what the CPU needs, so it’s not unusual—it just makes me wonder if the wiring is actually for CPU power and if the connectors are meant for the CPU. There aren’t any other standard 8-pin connectors that fit a motherboard. I’m not sure why it didn’t work unless it wasn’t connected properly.
Power is being drawn from the PC instead of being supplied, so adding another connector simply means it can handle more power. I’m wondering if there’s a fault with the PSU or cable or a problem with the motherboard inside the power port. This seems odd because both MSI Z690 boards worked fine regardless of pin configuration. It might have been an incomplete connection.
I tried connecting and reconnecting several times during my 4 hours of frustration. Maybe you're right—it's just a mystery caused by bad luck and a poor connection. Now I sound like a child asking why, but if it were because the cable wasn't fully plugged in, we'd have a different question, wouldn't we? It began with one connector; why wouldn't it work with two if one wasn't properly connected? The latter would be the same as the first. Thanks for your engagement and quick replies!
The board and PSU have sufficient safeguards to identify issues with the power cable, prompting an alert such as "Potential problem detected—short or fault present." If you're not in a hurry, test each connector separately using individual cables to confirm functionality. This helps determine if a faulty cable, connector, or another anomaly is causing the issue.