I'm buying a MSI 7970 Lightning this friday and need help.

Tonester0011 · 8 Oct 2012 at 16:59

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-014-XF&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1497

I'd go for this one, 53A on the 12V.

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 17:14

Tonester0011 said:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-014-XF&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1497

I'd go for this one, 53A on the 12V.

Would 50 extra watts make a difference? The MSI 7970 Lightning is a powerhouse! I would think a 750 watt would be better.

unless some one can link me the right psu for my case that can handle MSI7970 lightning?

triggerthat · 8 Oct 2012 at 17:23

Just use the adaptors to connect the GPU with your current PSU.

Tonester0011 · 8 Oct 2012 at 17:31

RetrogamerX said:
Would 50 extra watts make a difference? The MSI 7970 Lightning is a powerhouse! I would think a 750 watt would be better.

unless some one can link me the right psu for my case that can handle MSI7970 lightning?

It's not 50 extra watts though, its total output is 132w more than your current PSU and that's on one rail, not two. People overestimate how much power they require for their rig.

Defy Belief · 8 Oct 2012 at 17:36

You will not need more than 600watts for a single 7970, plenty to spare, simple.

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 17:57

triggerthat said:
Just use the adaptors to connect the GPU with your current PSU.

The cables I have with my psu are only 6pin. Like the pic's above. and the 7970 lightning uses 8pin to 8pin

Tonester0011 said:
It's not 50 extra watts though, its total output is 132w more than your current PSU and that's on one rail, not two. People overestimate how much power they require for their rig.

oh...I didn't know that. so my psu is enough then?

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:00

I don't have 8pin to 6pin cables with my psu.

Both cables look like this

the plug looks 8pin , but only has 6 wires going in? so you guys are saying the 6 wire end has 8 holes red plug end goes into the psu and the 6 pin goes in the adapter msi gives you with card. That cable end on their adapter will be 8pin. The one thing I don't understand though is the psu end is only 6 pin, and not 8? does that matter?

Defy Belief · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:02

You will get adapters with the 7970.

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:11

Defy Belief said:
You will get adapters with the 7970.

I understand that, but my cables are not 8pin to 6pin, there 6pin to 6pin?

I just found this cable. 8pin to 8pin. would this work for msi 7970 lightning? so I could connect directly from psu to gpu without adapters?

This is what it says about this cable. I think this is the right cable

The Express Power Extension Cable connects to your your ATX12V power supply & PCIe power connector to give you a 40cm power cable, making it easier to power your PCI Express based video card.

Connects a PSU PCIe Power socket to the 8 pin video card power supply connection

Connector A 1 - PCI Express Power (8 pin) Male
Connector B 1 - PCI Express Power (8 pin) Male

thenewoc · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:34

Are you sure that 8pin plug in your OP is your PCI-E 6+2 Pin as it looks more like the CPU 8 Pin?

Gregster · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:34

Plug in both of those 8pin cables to the 8 pin connectors on the GPU and away you go...Simples

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:39

gregster said:
Plug in both of those 8pin cables to the 8 pin connectors on the GPU and away you go...Simples

WOW finally the answer I wanted to hear. I'll be buying these cables now. thank you mate

cammy5477 · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:48

A 6 pin connection gives 75 watts. An 8 pin connection gives 150 watts.

So plugging a 6 pin into a 6-8 pin adaptor still only gives you 75 watts of power.

what you need as andybird told you is 2 x 6 pins from your psu into the adaptor that you get with the card your buying and that will give you your second 8 pin connection you need to go with the one your psu already has

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 20:51

cammy5477 said:
A 6 pin connection gives 75 watts. An 8 pin connection gives 150 watts.

So plugging a 6 pin into a 6-8 pin adaptor still only gives you 75 watts of power.

what you need as andybird told you is 2 x 6 pins from your psu into the adaptor that you get with the card your buying and that will give you your second 8 pin connection you need to go with the one your psu already has

as in the photo I have 2x6 pin cables. The plugs look like 8 pin that are in the psu , but only 6 wires and the other end is 6pin. so that's 6pin to 6pin? would that work with 7970 lightning? if not the 8pin to 8pin will work also. it will use more power though. Don't know if my 600Watt PSU could handle 8pin to 8pin then????? or could it??

cammy5477 · 8 Oct 2012 at 21:03

The card needs 2 x 8pin for a 300 watt supply any less than this will either cause it to

1 Not work
2 Work for a bit before taking out your psu
3 take out your card

You have 1 x 8 pin that I saw in a previous photo? yeah?
You need another? You can get this by plugging 2 x 6 pin into the bottom of the supplied with card adaptor which gives you an 8 pin at the other side of the adaptor.

This now depends on wether you have 2 x 6 pins as well as your 8 pin? do you?

If not buy a psu.

cammy5477 · 8 Oct 2012 at 21:08

This is what you get with the card and will give you your 2nd 150 watt supply along with the 8 pin you have

NOT THIS. it will only still give you 75 watts instead of 150 watts you need although it will fit

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-007-CT&groupid=1929&catid=153&subcat=

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 21:16

cammy5477 said:
The card needs 2 x 8pin for a 300 watt supply any less than this will either cause it to

1 Not work
2 Work for a bit before taking out your psu
3 take out your card

You have 1 x 8 pin that I saw in a previous photo? yeah?
You need another? You can get this by plugging 2 x 6 pin into the bottom of the supplied with card adaptor which gives you an 8 pin at the other side of the adaptor.

This now depends on wether you have 2 x 6 pins as well as your 8 pin? do you?

If not buy a psu.

Thanks for helping me cammy.

I have 2 of these cables. will it work with these 2?

What my psu looks like. that plug only has 6 wires too.

thenewoc · 8 Oct 2012 at 21:17

I think the problem is that PSU only has 1 6pin PCI-E, and the other should be a 6+2pin PCI-E. So the latter is fine for one connection into the gfx card but the the lack of an additional 6pin PCI-E to use with that combination adapter cable leaves you short of wattage as I see it.

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-500w-700w-modxstream-pro-power-supply.html

RetrogamerX · 8 Oct 2012 at 21:23

thenewoc said:
I think the problem is that PSU only has 1 6pin PCI-E, and the other should be a 6+2pin PCI-E. So the latter is fine for one connection into the gfx card but the the lack of an additional 6pin PCI-E to use with that combination adapter cable leaves you short of wattage as I see it.

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-500w-700w-modxstream-pro-power-supply.html

I'm using the other cable right now for my 7850. that cable does on my gpu have 6pins which are in the gpu and 2pin loose not being used. is that what you mean?

Maybe I should take a pic of the other cable. brb

ok this is the other cable end. it's a 6pin and 2pin not being used

thenewoc · 8 Oct 2012 at 21:34

Yes that cable that has 2pins loose when combined together would give you 1 of the 2 8pin connections for the 7970. However, you only have 1 other 6pin PCI-E cable and therefore don't have enough to make up the 2 you'd require to connect into the adapter cable shown above to combine 2 6pin PCI-E cables to make 1 more 8pin for the 2nd connection onto the gfx card. In short I think you need a better PSU so that you have 300W of power via PCI-E connections to supply the gfx card.