Whats this 8-pin Power Connector on the HD2900 Series?

[Big.Wayne]

Hi,

can anyone give me more info about this 8-pin power socket on the HD2900 Pro please?

I've just read that you can use two standard 6-pin PCI-E powerplugs to get things running but you lose some function if not using the 8-pin plug?

I am using an ANTEC TruePower Trio 550 that has a bunch of connectors and I wondered if one of them is the correct 8-pin (circled in red?), or is that a funky mobo power-plug?

Thanks in advance!

 

[drunkenmaster]

thats the wrong 8 pin connector, you generally don't need it. it will fit a 6pin pci-e fine with 2 bits empty, the only thing it disables is overclocking in the control centre, but gpuclocktool and rivatuner will overclock anyway. the 2xpci-e you have is fine for it.

 

[RavenUK]

Two six pin connectors will work fine, only thing you lose by not using an eight pin is the overdrive facility in the control centre, which you don't need anyway as there are plenty of third party apps that will do that for you. The eight pin connector in your pic will not work as that is for mobo's with the eight pin 12v CPU connector to give it extra stability.

 

[Scougar]

don't attempt to shove that 8pin into that card. The 8pin has to be the specific PCI-E 8 pin, else you may damage the gfx card!

6+6 is fine just use a 3rd party o/c'ing utility (ati tool etc)

Matthew

 

[Big.Wayne]

Hi, thanks for quick replies all!

Some useful information there, at least I know now that I can get the thing working but I am not sure what this Overdrive feature is?

On the X1950XT card I am currently using it runs at a lower clock speed when it in 2D mode but then boosts the GPU/Mem speed (to advertised stock MHz ) whenever the card detects you are using Fullscreen 3D. . .

X1950XT *Overdrive* - 500/1200 becomes 650/1600

I am thinking that perhaps the HD2900Pro will run at a slower-clockspeed than advertised if it can't use the overdrive feature?

Anyone have any more info on why ATI have used this 8-pin plug? and are there any PSU's that feature this new cable?

 

[decto]

The new cable is an extension of the 6pin cable as the 2900 cards need a lot of power.

The Corsair HX PSUs come with a flexible 6/8 pin connection.

You can also get adapters for other PSU's that convert 6 to 8pin.

a pair of 6 pins seems to work fine though

AD

 

[Big.Wayne]

Cheers, will post back if anything isn't quite right!

 

[Vogon]

Ahem .. someone didn't read all the pre release posts on the 2900

Yes, use 2 6 pins if you dont have the 8 pin, works just fine

 

[Jokester]

The 2 extra pins don't allow for extra power, as they're both grounds.

Jokester

 

[PCZ]

It is a ridiculous power requirement.
ATI are desperate and are taking a chance that PC gamers won't care that there using the most power hungry graphics card ever produced.

Really is a power sucking enviroment destroying piece of crap.
Bested by a card launched 6 months previously.

ATI are going down the toilet with AMD

 

[FreeStream]

It is a ridiculous power requirement.
ATI are desperate and are taking a chance that PC gamers won't care that there using the most power hungry graphics card ever produced.

Really is a power sucking enviroment destroying piece of crap.
Bested by a card launched 6 months previously.

ATI are going down the toilet with AMD

Oh stop it you troll!

It works and overclocks perfectly with just one of the pins, so thats less than 75+ 150W = 225W max!

ATi are far from desperate when for the last 3 generations they have had the better cards overall. The still hold the AGP market with the X1950Pro and I think the mid range market with the X1950 range still! (8600 was poor IIRC).

How about the driver fiasco with the 8800 cards, forgot that point did we?

Oh and FYI, the R600 GPU was in development, and quite far into it when AMD took over.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

It un-greys the overdrive tab so you can click on it