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My motherboard requires an 8-pin CPU power cable to be connected, other than the 24-pin main connector. My PSU (which is modular) has the same exact 8-pin connector, under which it is written CPU. My PSU doesn't have an 8-pin to 8-pin connector, but has instead an 8-pin to 4+4-pin. But as you can see in the images below, the shape on 2 pins are different.

The 2 connectors are different

The differences

Meanwhile the pins on the motherboard and on the PSU are the same.

Will this make a difference? Can I connect one end to the PSU or the motherboard without damage independently?

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  • Am I correct the left connector is intended to be on PSU side?
    – Yury Schkatula
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:24
  • Yes, the left should be on the PSU (or at least it fits perfectly).
    – F. Alessandro
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:55
  • Are these photos of the connectors at each end of a cable? Does one end fit into the PSU, and the other into the Motherboard? Is the connector on the PSU labelled (check the manual)?
    – Attie
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:55
  • Yes Attie, they are the ends of the 8-pin cable which should go from the PSU to the motherboard.
    – F. Alessandro
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:56
  • I expect it should be fine - the purpose of keyed connectors is to ensure that you can't physically connect the wrong things together (without excessive force).
    – Attie
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:58

1 Answer 1

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I guess the upper pins (the terms "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" refer to your original photo) are connected with yellow cables and are supposed to transmit +12V. The bottom pins are connected with black cables and are designed for GND. Refer to the user manual of your PSU to confirm this.

The left connector (8) is the one you connect to the PSU. The right connector (4+4) is the one you connect to the motherboard. If you need to connect an 8-pin socket to an 8-pin socket, it shouldn't matter though.

Note a beveled pin fits any socket type. By making the 4+4 part the way it is, they made it possible to connect the right connector:

  • to a single 8-pin socket (that can also strictly fit the left connector, this is what you want to do, I believe),
  • or to up to two separate 4-pin sockets (each can strictly fit the left part of the right connector).

In other words the right part of the right connector is universal all-beveled design, so it can be used as the right part or as a (standalone) left part.

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  • Thanks! Just to be sure, by "beveled" you mean the "shield" shaped pins, right? Sorry but I couldn't find an exact translation to my language.
    – F. Alessandro
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:54
  • 1
    @F.Alessandro Yes, shield-shaped, like rectangles with two corners cut off.
    – Kamil Maciorowski
    Commented Jul 30, 2018 at 11:57

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