Can you please help me in deciding on powered GPU riser.

[rizabbasi]

Hi,

I have ASROCK H81 PRO BTC 2.0 mobo and Corsair HX1200i PSU. I plan to get 6x GTX 1060 6GB GPUs.

I want to get the powered risers. There are two vendors offering their products. Please let me know what riser would be OK. There is change in connectors (please see red arrows) and I really have no idea about the risers and connectors.

The image of both products:


Would be grateful if you let me know which vendor's - vendor 1 or 2 - product would be suitable.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Regards,

Rizwan

[jmigdlc99]

Those are the same SATA to 6-pin PCIE connectors. Vendor #1 and #2 have no difference.

SATA is the longer connector while 6-pin is the one with six squares.
You connect the 6-pin to the riser and connect the SATA to your PSU.

Both are good anyway because powering your risers with 6-pin PCIE has shown to be better than using SATA adapters.

[CarlOrff]

There is no differences between vendor 1 and 2 : my advice is for those with the higher revision PCB number.
Vendor 1 and vendor 2 : the riser has a 6 pins PCIe connector : this is the original one for all the GPUs, even the most powerfull, it is the best solution if you connect it directly to your PSU, without adaptors.

[rizabbasi]

There is no differences between vendor 1 and 2 : my advice is for those with the higher revision PCB number.
Vendor 1 and vendor 2 : the riser has a 6 pins PCIe connector : this is the original one for all the GPUs, even the most powerfull, it is the best solution if you connect it directly to your PSU, without adaptors.

Hi CarlOrff,

Thank you for the response.

Please let me know how to know that higher revision PCB number.

Also please let me know how to connect it (what does it means?) directly to PSU without adapters?

Can you please share some diagram/layout. I never did this sort of connection before.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Rizwan

[QuintLeo]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

[rizabbasi]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

Hi QuintLea,

I read in some post that SATA is prone to catch fire in this kind of extended run. Can you please send Amazon/any other link about the appropriated riser product so that I could review and order.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Rizwan

[P00P135]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

Hi QuintLea,

I read in some post that SATA is prone to catch fire in this kind of extended run. Can you please send Amazon/any other link about the appropriated riser product so that I could review and order.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Rizwan

Both risers are perfect. Don't use the provided 6pin to sata adapter and just plug directly into them from the power supply with a 6pin power connector.  You can split one 6pin to power two risers.

[ivakar]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

they are not eat 70W from sata - typically it is about 3-5W
all required power vga takes from  6x8pins from power supply
my friend had measured - and seems the system "knows" there is not enough power from risers  and switches to main psu for required power
from sata comes the power to power the riser itself, that's all!

[P00P135]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

they are not eat 70W from sata - typically it is about 3-5W
all required power vga takes from  6x8pins from power supply
my friend had measured - and seems the system "knows" there is not enough power from risers  and switches to main psu for required power
from sata comes the power to power the riser itself, that's all!

No, this is incorrect.

[rizabbasi]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

they are not eat 70W from sata - typically it is about 3-5W
all required power vga takes from  6x8pins from power supply
my friend had measured - and seems the system "knows" there is not enough power from risers  and switches to main psu for required power
from sata comes the power to power the riser itself, that's all!

No, this is incorrect.

Hi,

Someone please give me a clear go ahead to get these riser (attached pics). Other please let me know:

a) if SATA is not good/dangerous way to connect

b) if SATA can be avoided by bypassing (using the risers I attached pics).

I want to get the riser but before that I want to be pretty sure that I get the right thing that would go along with 24/7 operations of rig.

Regards,

Rizwan

[Vann]

USB powered risers deliver 40-50W through the PCI-E x16 slot on the riser. This is easy to verify in a dual PSU setup where all the risers are connected to the same PSU that powers the motherboard and the secondary PSU only powers the 6/8 pin connectors on the tops of the cards.

No matter what type of cable you're using to connect the risers, never use more than two connections per cable. I use the same PCI-E 6-pin risers and use 8-pin to dual 6+2 pin splitter cables to connect two risers per PCI-E cable. If I have to use a sata or molex cable, I use dual sata/molex to 6-pin adapter cables. That way the load is spread over both connectors.

8-pin PCI-E to Dual 6+2 PCI-E splitter

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/20CM-Black-Sleeved-8-Pin-PCI-E-GPU-to-Dual-8-6-2-Pin-Splitter-PC/32688175733.html

Dual sata to 6-pin connectors.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Deconn-SATA-15-Pin-Male-to-PCI-Express-6-Pin-Dual-Video-Card-Adapter-Cable/32584991290.html

Dual molex to 6-pin connectors.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4Pcs-High-Quality-2-x-Molex-To-PCI-E-Power-Adapter-4Pin-4-Pin-6-Pin/32759205876.html

[jmigdlc99]

There is no differences between vendor 1 and 2 : my advice is for those with the higher revision PCB number.
Vendor 1 and vendor 2 : the riser has a 6 pins PCIe connector : this is the original one for all the GPUs, even the most powerfull, it is the best solution if you connect it directly to your PSU, without adaptors.

Hi CarlOrff,

Thank you for the response.

Please let me know how to know that higher revision PCB number.

Also please let me know how to connect it (what does it means?) directly to PSU without adapters?

Can you please share some diagram/layout. I never did this sort of connection before.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Rizwan

PCB number is similar to a version build number and it is written at the top of your riser.

I've checked it for you and it seems that the riser from better one has an later PCB number and is possibly better.

Vendor 1: PCE164-NO7
Vendor 2: PCE164-NO3

Although in reality, they should not make much difference.

[fr4nkthetank]

anything above version 5c should be good.  check the USB wires, is it a cheap white usb cable ?  then dont buy that.  Is it a sturdy blue cable ?  good.  How long is the cable, do you need 30cm, or 60cm, etc.  You should have a min of 3 or 4 capacitors on the riser too. 

[QuintLeo]

Hi,

Someone please give me a clear go ahead to get these riser (attached pics). Other please let me know:

a) if SATA is not good/dangerous way to connect

b) if SATA can be avoided by bypassing (using the risers I attached pics).

 Both of the risers you linked have a PCI-E connection on the board, and therefore are safe to use with direct power from the Power Supply.
 (This happens to be how almost all of MY risers are powered at this time).

 Dual SATA or dual Molex to a single PCI-E 6-pin should be reasonably safe, as that splits the load to within the limits of the SATA or Molex power connections.
 (I have ONE riser on a dual Molex to PCI-E adapter as I ran out of PCI-E connectors to power that one with).

[QuintLeo]

Using SATA to PCI-E adapters on risers is a BAD IDEA - the SATA power connection is not rated for enough 12v DC to handle the typical 70 watts most "mining" GPUs pull out of the PCI-E bus connection.

 You can connect most risers direct to your power supply with a standard PCI-E 6-pin connection - which IS rated to handle the load VERY safely.

they are not eat 70W from sata - typically it is about 3-5W
all required power vga takes from  6x8pins from power supply
my friend had measured - and seems the system "knows" there is not enough power from risers  and switches to main psu for required power
from sata comes the power to power the riser itself, that's all!

 Try doing that on a GTX 1080 (180-200 watt factory TDP on most of them) with a single 8-pin PCI-E connector.
 They will NOT "draw 3-5 watts" from the PCI-E bus - they will draw AT LEAST 50 for the 200 watt TDP models because they are not ALLOWED to draw more than 150 watts from the *8 PIN* PCI-E connection.

 Many RX 470/480/570/580 models have a single *6 pin* connection rated 75 watts but have a factory TDP of 150 watts - those were NOTORIOUS for a while for drawing 80+ watts from the PCI-E bus (AMD fixed that with a driver change to keep the draw DOWN TO the PCI-E 75 watt spec for the bus power).

 SATA power connectors have 3 12V pins (and 5 ground pins) but each pin is only rated 1.5 amps PER MOLEX SPEC FOR THE ACTUAL CONNECTOR PINS, so 4.5 TOTAL amps at 12vdc = 54 watts WHICH IS NOT ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE 75 WATT RATED POWER DRAW FOR THE PCI-E BUS SAFELY.
 Forget the wiring, the connector ITSELF is not rated for the power load needed for safe operation.

 DO NOT ASSUME THAT SATA POWER IS SAFE FOR A RISER CARD - the connector is NOT rated to supply the full power draw the PCI-E bus is RATED for, and many cards push that rating hard or even slightly exceed it.


 Oh yeah - 1050 and 1050ti are rated for 75 watts TDP and generally don't HAVE a PCI-E power connector, though not used a LOT in mining.
 RX 460 has a 60 watt TDP and no PCI-E power connector on ANY of those I've ever looked at, though again not used a LOT in mining.
 GTX 750ti was generally rated 75 watts and rarely had a PCI-E power connector - and a LOT of those were used for Monero minng because at one point they were THE most efficient Monero mining GPU (and beat out most CPUs as well).

 Try claiming THOSE pull "3-5 watts from the PCI-E bus" sometime....


 Dual SATA to PCI-E adapter to feed a PCI-E power connector on the riser should be safe, at 108 rated watts.