GTX 1080 Pins

Bradders456 · May 27, 2016

Hi,
So i've just bought myself a new GTX 1080 and I went for this one:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-1080-founders-edition-8192mb-gddr5x-pci-express-graphics-card-gv-n1080d5x-8g-gx-182-gi.html

However upon inspection i noticed that some of the others needed 1x8 pin and 1x6 pin connectors, where as mine needs just 1x8 pin, other than this they are all the same. I'm new to computing so forgive me for asking a potentially stupid questions.

Will having just 1x8 pin negative impact performance?

How much (if any) of a performance difference is there between 1x8 pin and 1x8 & 1x6 pin?

Thanks!

turkey3_scratch · May 27, 2016

It will not affect performance in any way. The GTX 1080 has no need even for an additional 6 pins unless it was overclocked very heavily.

17seconds · May 27, 2016

The extra pin would be to supply more power for those who are going for maximum overclock and are being held back by their power limits. If you are not pushing your card to the extreme, the single power connector is plenty. As a bonus, your card will use a bit less power and generate less heat.

turkey3_scratch · May 27, 2016

17seconds :

How would reducing the number of PCIe cables reduce power? It would just affect the distribution of energy by going about less wires instead of more. If two cards are exactly identical, clock rate and everything, and one has an 8-pin connector and one has an 8-pin and a 6-pin, it wouldn't affect the energy consumption of the card, it'd just heat up the wires less.

13thmonkey · May 27, 2016

turkey3_scratch :

It would mean that less power was available should the card be able to request it, however in the case of these cards without modification they will not pull more than an 8pin. Note that 17seconds said power limits, he was perfectly correct.

turkey3_scratch · May 27, 2016

13thmonkey :

turkey3_scratch :

It would mean that less power was available should the card be able to request it, however in the case of these cards without modification they will not pull more than an 8pin. Note that 17seconds said power limits, he was perfectly correct.

Yeah but he also said at the end, "your card will use a bit less power and generate less heat.".

13thmonkey · May 27, 2016

If you are not pushing your card to the extreme, then less power would be used, I suspect a misplaced full stop.

turkey3_scratch · May 27, 2016

13thmonkey :

Well, yeah, but same-clocked cards, no difference.

17seconds · May 27, 2016

... than a card being pushed to its extreme limits with additional power availability.

Bradders456 · May 27, 2016

How come versions of the 1080 that are cheaper say £590 versions require 1x8 pin & 1x6 pin, and yet the more expensive versions (£619 and above) usually only require 1x8 pin? sorry again but like I said i'm new so I'm still learning about this.

17seconds · May 27, 2016

You're looking at the Founder's Edition card, which is basically the reference model as designed by Nvidia. Usually these cards are the cheapest and most basic versions. This time, Nvidia is actually encouraging people to buy custom cards from their board partners so the cost of the Founder's Edition is $100 more. What that means is that the upgraded custom models are actually cheaper than the Nvidia reference model.

It's a favor for the board partners to keep them happy and not take over too much of their sales. Buyers need to be aware of this and not jump on the first Founder's Edition they see.

Bradders456 · May 27, 2016

17seconds :

I'm so stressed about picking the right one now! I've ordered the one I put at the start of the thread but which one would you personally go for if you were buying one?

13thmonkey · May 27, 2016

they will all perform to within 1-2% of each other unless you are going to go into hard core modding and OCing, nothing to worry about.

17seconds · May 27, 2016

I would not stress, first of all. The card you're looking at is going to be amazing. It has the benefit of external exhaust, so it blows all of its hot air outside the case. Custom cards vent their exhaust inside the case so case airflow is more important.

I do think it would be worthwhile to take a little time to look around and see if you can find one of the custom cards, which should be hitting the supply chain soon, if they haven't already. I also have no personal confirmation that they will be cheaper. I do think that if you take your time, you have a good chance of making a better decision with more options to choose from.

Eximo · May 27, 2016

For a comparison the GTX980 this replaces used two 6-pin connectors which is essentially equivalent to a single 8-pin connector.

75W from the slot, 150 watt from the 8-pin connector for a total of 225W. The card's rated TDP is 180W. GTX980 was rated at 165W. So even with the 8-pin there is a little wiggle room.

I'm hoping to use some older water blocks on the 1080, so I will probably get the reference design despite the cost. Maybe. Need to see a few more raw PCB images before I pull the trigger.

17seconds · May 27, 2016

I have confirmed that the custom upgraded models are going to be cheaper than the Founder's Edition. For example, the Asus ROG Strix is priced at $619 US, versus the Founder's Edition at $699.
http://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-custom-model-round-up/

Math Geek · May 27, 2016

give it time before buying and see what the custom cards will cost and be able to do. a list of custom cards is already starting and will eventually have clock speeds, power needs, sizes and other info for every card released!!! keep an eye on this thread here. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3047729/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1000-series-megathread-faq-resources.html#17902597

will add benchmarks and reviews as they show up in the wild as well.

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