If this is your first time building a PC, and you're wondering how to connect your GPU to the PSU, then you've come to the right place. It may seem daunting to plug your GPU in for the first time, especially if you're new to PC building, but it isn't as complicated as you might think.

However, organizing the rest of your hardware and assembling it in the case is only half the task. The real challenge is to ensure you're getting all the connections correct before you finally get to cable management.

Which cables do you need?

The number of cables depends on your GPU's appetite

The first thing you need to know is that a graphics card uses a PCIe cable to draw power from the power supply. A standard PCIe cable has six pins, with a secondary detachable 2-pin connector to form an eight-pin (6+2 pin) connector. Non-modular power supplies will have these cables attached to the PSU, while modular options will allow you to remove them.

I recommend picking up a modular PSU to ensure you don't have to manage any unused cables. Even better, buy shorter cables to reduce the cable slack if you want to take your build to the next level in terms of cable management.

Most modern PSUs on the market these days come bundled with cables that are clearly labeled, so you can't miss the PCIe cable or mistake it for an EPS cable that's used to connect the CPU. Yes, the CPU and GPU use different cables, so keep that in mind.

The pin connectors on the 8-pin EPS12V and the 6+2-pin GPU PCIe cables are shaped differently, so you can't possibly plug the wrong cable even if they're not labeled.

What about the new 12VHPWR connectors?

You'll only find these connectors on Nvidia GPUs for now

The Radeon 7700XT GPU, for example, sports two PCIe connectors, whereas the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has a 12VHPWR connector. Not all PSUs out there have a 12VHPWR port, though, as only the new ATX 3.0 PSUs include them.

You can, however, use a 12VHPWR adapter to plug the regular 8-pin PCIe cable to draw power for these GPUs, so you don't necessarily have to ditch your old PSU yet. In fact, almost all Nvidia GPUs using the new 12VHPWR connector come with an adapter to make your life easier in any case. If needed though, you can pick up an adapter using the link below.

How to connect your GPU to your PSU

You'll likely need more than one cable

Now that you've identified the right cable for your graphics card, let's look into how you actually connect everything together.

1. First, you'll have to locate the PCIe cables on the GPU and the PSU.
   • Each PCIe cable has a 6-pin and a 2-pin connector, meaning it can either be used as a 6-pin cable or combined as an 8-pin cable, depending on the power requirements or the availability of connectors on the GPU.
2. Plug the required number of PCIe cables into the Power Supply by matching the shapes of the pins. Of course, the PSU should be off, not conducting any live power while connecting components.

3. Plug the other end of the PCIe cable with the 6+2-pin connector into the GPU by once again matching the shapes.
   • You can combine the connectors by aligning the clips on the connectors, as shown below.
4. Make sure the connectors are completely inserted. You'll hear a snap once they lock into place. Full contact and latch is important.

Most modern GPUs demand high power to run, so they need more than a single PCIe cable to work. You'll find these connectors on top of the graphics cards, so please ensure you're using the right number of PCIe cables to supply enough power to the GPU. You can also refer to your GPU's specifications to see how much power it needs.

Most modern graphics cards out there will have up to two connectors, meaning you'll need two 8-pin PCIe cables to power them. Nvidia decided to use 12VHPWR connectors on many of its latest GPUs to reduce the number of required connectors, so don't be surprised to see one of those on your GeForce RTX 40-series GPU.

Everything should be connected now!

That's everything you need to know about connecting your graphics card to the power supply. Unless you're using one of the new Nvidia 40-series graphics cards with a 12VHPWR connector, you can simply use the PCIe cables to connect the two components.

Those dealing with a 12VHPWR connector can consider buying an ATX 3.0 PSU with the 12VHPWR connector or using an adapter (included with the GPU) to power the graphics card. I am leaving links to a couple of my favorite power supply units for gaming on the market right now, so be sure to take a look on your way out.