No, you cannot use just 8 pins from a 12-pin MOBO. The design requires all 12 pins to function properly.
No, you cannot use just 8 pins from a 12-pin MOBO. The design requires all 12 pins to function properly.
Hey, it looks like you haven’t verified the cables Corsair offers with your PSU. With your Ryzen 5 5600X, Asus ROG STRIX B550-A, and Corsair RM580x, you might need a 4-pin cable for the motherboard. You can install the OS now using the available cables, or wait to buy a proper one if you want to keep things running smoothly. Don’t give up on your build just yet!
Does this refer to an extra four-pin connector for your CPU? (The socket on the top left of your board?) If yes, continue using the eight-pin EPS you already have inside—this would be the Rm850X. Are you asking about the 24-pin cable or the CPU power cable?
this is just a marketing trick you chose.
it might help a bit when pushing high-end components, or if your power setup isn’t up to the job.
or if your cables are really bad—then it’s probably not worth it.
don’t worry about that extra 4-pin plug.
I see you're thinking about the 4+8 EPS header on the motherboard. A 5600x can work fine with just a single 4-pin connector, so an extra 8-pin is more than enough. The 8-pin provides stronger power delivery since the 8-pin connector supports over 200W. A 5600x itself draws around 65W, which is well under that limit. If you're pushing the system to higher overclocking levels with a 5950x, you might need the additional 4-pin, but most advanced builds would use a board with two 8-pin headers instead.
I share the view on what @manikyath mentioned regarding the 4-pin near the CPU being just a marketing trick
It applies to the CPU close to the 8-pin RM850X, note the typo about 24-pin being standard
Everyone else mentioned it as a silly marketing trick that doesn’t really work for real use, whether daily or extreme overclocking. Even with a 5950x under L2 and 6GHz+ speeds, an 8-pin connector should still manage it thanks to the conservative design limits. If it couldn’t handle that power, those crazy overclocks on boards like the R2E wouldn’t be feasible—especially since Prime uses all cores efficiently. That high draw must mean something really powerful is needed.
It's more than just a trick. Based on what I've seen, my 7980xe can handle heavy loads on an 8-pin connector during overclocking. An 8-pin can typically manage up to 384 watts, which makes it seem like a gimmick on a budget board. But if you're using a high-end enthusiast system with a top-tier CPU, every bit adds up for serious overclocking. Even in moderate settings, the 13900k seems capable of providing some real benefit beyond just one 8-pin slot.