Where Does the PCIe Cable Go? Easy Explanation for You

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) cable is one of the important elements of a computer. And if you are intended to build your own PC, it is crucial to know where the PCIe cable goes.

The PCIe cables are part of the power supply unit (PSU) and they normally go to PCIe devices like the graphics card.

In this article, we will explain where the PCIe cable goes and the things that you need to know regarding this. Let’s learn them below.

Different Types of PCIE Cables and Where They Go

The PCIe cables are used to deliver voltage and power to PCI cards that need more power, like a graphics card. There are various types of PCIe cables. Here are they:

1. 6-Pin Power Cable

6-Pin power cables are the smallest type of PCIE cable. They can provide power of around 75 W to a PCIE device. It goes from PSU to PCIe expansion cards.

2. 8-Pin Power Cable

8-pin PCIE power cables are also another type of PCIe cable that delivers up to 150 watts. It mainly goes from the PSU to the CPU.

3. 6+2 Pin PCIE Cable (8 Pin PCIE Cable)

A 6+2 PCIE cable is basically an 8-pin cable that has a main 6-pin slot, with a second 2-pin slot. The 2-pin slot can be detached or left unused if necessary. One side of this cable goes to the power supply unit while the other side goes into the graphics card.

You can get a lot of flexibility with this cable to transfer data. For example, if your GPU requires 6-pin, then you can use this cable without using the extra 2-pins.

4. 12-Pin PCIE Cables

These 12-pin cables were developed by NVIDIA and are used for NVIDIA PSU and GPUs. The RTX series graphics cards of NVIDIA require higher power from the PSU. The 12-pin PCIe cable can supply up to 600 watts of power. And these 12-pin PCIe cables are used to connect these high-performance graphics cards to the power supply.

5. PCIE Pigtail Cables

You can find another type of PCIe cable with pigtail connectors that have a split end. One end with 8 pins of this cable will go for the PSU while the other end with 8+8 pins will be split into two different connectors.

How To Identify Which Side of PCIe Cables Go Where?

So, how do you identify which side of the PCIe cable goes where? Here are some tips to identify that:

1. Follow the label on the cable: PCIe cables come with labeling on both sides. The CM-PSU label indicates that this side will go into the power supply unit and the PCIe label indicates that this side will go into the PCIe slot of the GPU.
2. Split the Cables: If you have a split PCIe cable like 6+2, then you may not find any labeling there. It’s because it is easy to understand that the split end will go into the GPU and the opposite end will go into the PSU.
3. By Checking the Pins: If you have a 6-pin PCIe cable that is neither split nor labeled, then you can still identify which one will go into the PSU and which one will go into the GPU by observing the pins.

Here is a video connecting the PCIe cable. You can check this out to understand where does the PCIe cable go.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQs)

Does PCIe Go into The Motherboard?

No, PCIe cables connect motherboard components like PCIe Expansion Card and Graphics Card to the Power Supply Unit. The Expansion card and graphics cards are connected to the motherboard on the PCIe slots. So, PCIe cables don’t go directly into the motherboard.

Does PCIe Go into The Power Supply?

Basically, all PSUs come with PCIe cables. Some cables come internally attached to the PSU while some can be detached to it. If your PSU has PCIe slots in the front, then you can attach or detach the PCIe cable on it.

Conclusion

PCIe cables are meant to go to the PCIe devices like PCIe expansion cards or graphics cards. All the information including where the PCIe cable will go and how you can determine that are explained in this article. If you have found this guide helpful in learning what you need, don’t forget to mention it in our comment box below. Thanks for reading!