Current best powered risers available?

[SuperDerpBro]

Gonna replace a couple i suspect might be causing slightly slower hash rates than other identical cards. Figure i might as well do them all.

Prefer molex. Unless there is a molex to 6pin adapter that doesn't need 2 molex connectors as input.

[gt_addict]

Persoanlly i go for the ones with FOUR capacitors on. No particular brand or make as they are all basically the same. They all do a range of different connectors.

[MarkAz]

If you run into problems with any of your risers, I've found that in probably 99% of the cases I've had problems it was their cheap USB cable, not the riser or the PCI connector.  Although I've phased out my riser use, towards the end I just bought 1.5ft USB cables for all my risers and swapped them regardless if I had problems or not.  Saved me a bunch of hassle in the long run...

[QuintLeo]

Coboc or Mintcell "version 8" with the 3 power connector option is my preference at this time, as I've yet to find a good MOLEX only riser that I don't have to wait a month for China shipment for.

 Had a batch of those Weitec (probably misspelled) same-type risers that 3 of 6 were BAD out of - definitely avoid.

[SuperDerpBro]

Thanks guys 

If you run into problems with any of your risers, I've found that in probably 99% of the cases I've had problems it was their cheap USB cable, not the riser or the PCI connector.  Although I've phased out my riser use, towards the end I just bought 1.5ft USB cables for all my risers and swapped them regardless if I had problems or not.  Saved me a bunch of hassle in the long run...

I have considered doing this actually. Hard to tell what USB cables are quality or just the same garbage you already have.

What are you using now if not risers? Onda boards? Sell me one? hehe

[sundownz]

Coboc or Mintcell "version 8" with the 3 power connector option is my preference at this time, as I've yet to find a good MOLEX only riser that I don't have to wait a month for China shipment for.

Had a batch of those Weitec (probably misspelled) same-type risers that 3 of 6 were BAD out of - definitely avoid.

I just got a few of those 3 connector risers and I like them as well... once I use up all the other risers I have I believe I will stick with those from here on out.

[jmigdlc99]

Generally 6-pin risers are considered safer than molex. I've heard horror stories of people's rigs blowing up or burning down because of bad molex connections.

If you are looking to squeeze every bit of efficiency and profitability from your rigs, then I highly recommend you also get risers that are version 008. It is said that these versions are more power efficient than others. I can't remember where i got the tip from but I believe its in one of the topics here in this forum.

[QuintLeo]

Bad connections can happen with ANY connector type, especially if you plug and unplug the connector a lot.
Molex one downside is that it can be a bit of a pain sometimes to get the pins aligned properly when you push the connector into the socket - if you do that with care you should never have an issue.

 One thing I HAVE noticed is that a lot of riser makers seem to "cheap out" on the soldering job, I've seen a few MOLEX risers where the MOLEX connector wasn't soldered AT ALL, just a press fit - which is a DEFINITE recipie for failure on a frequent basis.

 Version 6 should be the MINIMUM riser generation to consider - not that they're more efficient, but they're more RELIABLE than anything older.

[MarkAz]

I have considered doing this actually. Hard to tell what USB cables are quality or just the same garbage you already have.

What are you using now if not risers? Onda boards? Sell me one? hehe

These are the ones I always used:

http://amzn.to/2BMxYAt

They aren't the cheapest, but they're not bad and super reliable - I don't think I had a single one not work.  For my last build 3ft was the ideal length, but they sell smaller ones that might be better for most people.

I've tried all those - Colorful, Onda, etc... TBH I love them all, you really can't go wrong with any of them, even some of the weaker ones.

[SuperDerpBro]

Thanks guys.

I have considered doing this actually. Hard to tell what USB cables are quality or just the same garbage you already have.

What are you using now if not risers? Onda boards? Sell me one? hehe

These are the ones I always used:

http://amzn.to/2BMxYAt

They aren't the cheapest, but they're not bad and super reliable - I don't think I had a single one not work.  For my last build 3ft was the ideal length, but they sell smaller ones that might be better for most people.

I've tried all those - Colorful, Onda, etc... TBH I love them all, you really can't go wrong with any of them, even some of the weaker ones.

Thanks again. I will try to find those on Amazon.ca. Failing that what about these?

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAF6B6KW0303&ignorebbr=1&_ga=2.198289579.52438579.1513916211-662120618.1511639750&_gac=1.159115080.1513117807.CjwKCAiAmb7RBRATEiwA7kS8VB89-cj6yuKOs0-abQ2vnt1LiSmLmR8G3VfTNIhrXEEolq7alAv6MRoCuAMQAvD_BwE

I really wanted to try an Onda board. The one with the baked in Celleron. But i didn't want to wait for shipping from china :/

[Bitminer2017]

I have considered doing this actually. Hard to tell what USB cables are quality or just the same garbage you already have.

What are you using now if not risers? Onda boards? Sell me one? hehe

These are the ones I always used:

http://[Suspicious link removed]/2BMxYAt

They aren't the cheapest, but they're not bad and super reliable - I don't think I had a single one not work.  For my last build 3ft was the ideal length, but they sell smaller ones that might be better for most people.

I've tried all those - Colorful, Onda, etc... TBH I love them all, you really can't go wrong with any of them, even some of the weaker ones.

I actually did buy and try to use these. It gave me all sorts of issues where the video card wouldn't even show up at all, and some would. The ones that did, when I went to go mine, it would lock up the system. I switched to the shorter included mintcell cables and it solved those problems.

I also found a website that shows where longer USB cables puts strain on the system itself killing speeds it can transfer and that 1.5ft was pretty much the longest you could use.


So I am curious as to how you got 3ft to work reliably.

[FFI2013]

I got these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076MP4M8W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 from amazon last month to try and I think there great everyone worked 100% not like others I've ordered and 1 or 2 either doesn't work or weeks down the road you start having trouble plus there's multiple was of powering them

[arielbit]

Bad connections can happen with ANY connector type, especially if you plug and unplug the connector a lot.
Molex one downside is that it can be a bit of a pain sometimes to get the pins aligned properly when you push the connector into the socket - if you do that with care you should never have an issue.

 One thing I HAVE noticed is that a lot of riser makers seem to "cheap out" on the soldering job, I've seen a few MOLEX risers where the MOLEX connector wasn't soldered AT ALL, just a press fit - which is a DEFINITE recipie for failure on a frequent basis.

 Version 6 should be the MINIMUM riser generation to consider - not that they're more efficient, but they're more RELIABLE than anything older.

this is correct..I have molex risers version 3 from 2013, mining for 4 years already.

If you run into problems with any of your risers, I've found that in probably 99% of the cases I've had problems it was their cheap USB cable, not the riser or the PCI connector.  Although I've phased out my riser use, towards the end I just bought 1.5ft USB cables for all my risers and swapped them regardless if I had problems or not.  Saved me a bunch of hassle in the long run...

not just the usb connectors sometimes there are white stuff under the riser board...that white stuff is something that is left after soldering, this can conduct electricity and cause problems, people should check and scrub them off before using just to make sure.

[QuintLeo]

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAF6B6KW0303&ignorebbr=1&_ga=2.198289579.52438579.1513916211-662120618.1511639750&_gac=1.159115080.1513117807.CjwKCAiAmb7RBRATEiwA7kS8VB89-cj6yuKOs0-abQ2vnt1LiSmLmR8G3VfTNIhrXEEolq7alAv6MRoCuAMQAvD_BwE

 No opinion - but I'll point out that Newegg carries 6-packs of the Mintcell version of those for $7 or $8 more, shipped from the USA instead of shipped from China.

[MarkAz]

I also found a website that shows where longer USB cables puts strain on the system itself killing speeds it can transfer and that 1.5ft was pretty much the longest you could use.


So I am curious as to how you got 3ft to work reliably.

I think it depends on what you're trying to do - generally speaking mining doesn't put any real stress on the PCI bus in terms of bandwidth, and typically bandwidth (speed) is what you're going to loose over longer cable runs.  Probably the two biggest issues you run into with cable length is signal loss and interference - so you can at least be relatively sure that a higher quality cable is going to have better insulation.  Whether or not it's going to help in the signal loss department is a bit more iffy.

I've literally built 100's of rigs using those exact 3ft'ers I've linked to without any issues (you may have seen my custom miner enclosures, they all use these cables).

Thanks again. I will try to find those on Amazon.ca. Failing that what about these?

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAF6B6KW0303&ignorebbr=1&_ga=2.198289579.52438579.1513916211-662120618.1511639750&_gac=1.159115080.1513117807.CjwKCAiAmb7RBRATEiwA7kS8VB89-cj6yuKOs0-abQ2vnt1LiSmLmR8G3VfTNIhrXEEolq7alAv6MRoCuAMQAvD_BwE

Personally I hate this design of risers - it does just about everything wrong in my opinion.  First, the molex and PCIe connectors are located such that they almost always interfere with the card or sit right up against the heatsink of the card, which it terrible in my opinion - personally I only buy the ones with the 6-pin PCIe connector for power, and then just use an adapter if I need to get it from something else.  The slot connector has a right-angle plug on it, so on smaller builds with just a couple cards on a traditional motherboard it won't be an issue - but on a larger board like the Asus B250 Mining Expert you can't use these because the small slots all overlap - only the typical upright ones work.  Beyond that it's fine. 

[SuperDerpBro]

Id buy the 6pin riser but its hard to find inexpensive single molex to 6pin. Kinda weird that there are so many single sata to 6pin abut hardly any single molex. They are all dual molex. :/

[QuintLeo]

Gonna replace a couple i suspect might be causing slightly slower hash rates than other identical cards. Figure i might as well do them all.

Prefer molex. Unless there is a molex to 6pin adapter that doesn't need 2 molex connectors as input.

 There IS such a thing, but they're not common.

 Since you probably should only be running 1 riser from a molex string though, it's really not hard to plug both molex connectors into that one string.

 EVGA in specific has stated on their web site in the forums that their "peripheral" connections are only rated 75 watts per STRING.

 I've NEVER seen interference with the MOLEX or PCI-E connectors on the "3 way cards" with a backplate GPU - though I can see a possibility of the "latch" on the PCI-E power cable being a tight fit.
 If I'm going to use PCI-E power to the riser though, I just go with a straight PCI-E riser not a 3-way.

 MY main issue is they put the dangerous and worthless SATA power connector on the end of the card, where it's easier to route the riser power to - I'd rather see the MOLEX connector there.

 The right-angle adapter IS a bit annoying, but there are some folks that offer the traditional "straight out" adapter with those risers.
 I CAN see them being an issue on the B250 Mining Expert for all but ONE row of 1x slots as you point out, but they shouldn't be a significant issue on any other motherboard I am aware of.

[SuperDerpBro]

Thanks

These are shit ones i am using now. https://i.imgur.com/Ruzyv65.jpg

I am running 2 per Molex chain though. Figure its fine for 1060s at 80%

So are you saying i can mod dual molex to 6pin to single molex to 6pin? I have a tone of them. That would make buying risers MUCH easier.

I can only find single molex to 6pin, for a reasonable price, from China.. Dont want to wait that long. :/

[gt_addict]

Coboc or Mintcell "version 8" with the 3 power connector option is my preference at this time, as I've yet to find a good MOLEX only riser that I don't have to wait a month for China shipment for.

 Had a batch of those Weitec (probably misspelled) same-type risers that 3 of 6 were BAD out of - definitely avoid.

Have you got a picture of these risers fitted with a gpu? It looks really tight for a power connector down that side.

[zer0k]

Coboc or Mintcell "version 8" with the 3 power connector option is my preference at this time, as I've yet to find a good MOLEX only riser that I don't have to wait a month for China shipment for.

 Had a batch of those Weitec (probably misspelled) same-type risers that 3 of 6 were BAD out of - definitely avoid.

Have you got a picture of these risers fitted with a gpu? It looks really tight for a power connector down that side.

I have a bunch of these in 6-7 X 1080ti setups crammed into a Rosewill 4U server chassis and they are fine for clearance;.

[gt_addict]

Looks good. Miles better than I thought it would have. Actially looks better for getting access than the ones with the power at the back of the riser

[QuintLeo]

Thanks

These are shit ones i am using now. https://i.imgur.com/Ruzyv65.jpg

I am running 2 per Molex chain though. Figure its fine for 1060s at 80%

So are you saying i can mod dual molex to 6pin to single molex to 6pin? I have a tone of them. That would make buying risers MUCH easier.

I can only find single molex to 6pin, for a reasonable price, from China.. Dont want to wait that long. :/

 2 molex risers per chain CAN be an issue - the connector is fine, the WIRING is often not enough to support 150 watts and in the case of EVGA they specify that the connection ON THE POWER SUPPLY END is only rated for 75.

 It's possible to modify a "dual molex to PCI-E" adapter to use one MOLEX, but I don't recommend it unless you're an experienced tech and KNOW what you are doing.
 It's just easier to plug BOTH molex into the same MOLEX "string" from the power supply - since it's only ONE riser, it's not an "overload" issue.

 There ARE folks that make "single MOLEX to PCI-E 6-pin" adapters though - I've got a few around that apparently were provided with video cards at some point, and went into my "keep this, it might be useful eventually" box.

[QuintLeo]

Looks good. Miles better than I thought it would have. Actially looks better for getting access than the ones with the power at the back of the riser

 It is - no "reach around AND UNDER issues, or "pull the card to get to it" issues.

 Shouldn't matter on a reliable rig though.

[SuperDerpBro]

Thanks

These are shit ones i am using now. https://i.imgur.com/Ruzyv65.jpg

I am running 2 per Molex chain though. Figure its fine for 1060s at 80%

So are you saying i can mod dual molex to 6pin to single molex to 6pin? I have a tone of them. That would make buying risers MUCH easier.

I can only find single molex to 6pin, for a reasonable price, from China.. Dont want to wait that long. :/

 2 molex risers per chain CAN be an issue - the connector is fine, the WIRING is often not enough to support 150 watts and in the case of EVGA they specify that the connection ON THE POWER SUPPLY END is only rated for 75.

 It's possible to modify a "dual molex to PCI-E" adapter to use one MOLEX, but I don't recommend it unless you're an experienced tech and KNOW what you are doing.
 It's just easier to plug BOTH molex into the same MOLEX "string" from the power supply - since it's only ONE riser, it's not an "overload" issue.

 There ARE folks that make "single MOLEX to PCI-E 6-pin" adapters though - I've got a few around that apparently were provided with video cards at some point, and went into my "keep this, it might be useful eventually" box.

Hmm.. every where i looked said it was preferable to use one per chain but two was fine *shrugs*

I have done plenty of molex 5v fan mods in my day. Doesn't seem like it would be much harder than that. I'll prob just end up getting 6 of the ones with all the connectors though.

[leowonderful]

The single to 6 plugs work (had them plugged into an undervolted SP20) but they do get a little bit hot if you're putting a lot of power through em. I would suggest the dual molex connectors whenever possible just for security. If you do use the single plug connectors, make sure the cables aren't getting too warm.

[btcneodev]

Persoanlly i go for the ones with FOUR capacitors on. No particular brand or make as they are all basically the same. They all do a range of different connectors.

I also insist on four capacitors. I have some risers on hand that bought last time with four capacitors, it is much stable compared to three capacitors riser.

[Metroid]

My friend has a farm and never had a problem with the 3 capacitors. Not even one from hundreds.

[dcjim1]

Hi guys,

Is it safe to connect molex or 6-pin cable directly to riser board?
As far as I read, the SATA/molex and SATA/6pin power adapters are the ones that should be avoided?

I bought a few riser boards with 6-pin power socket. Came with sata-6pin adapter cables. Should I be using them or try to connect a 6-pin cable directly from the psu 6-pin socket?

Thanks in advance, I also asked the same question in a few thread I posted regarding dual psu and riser boards.

[SuperDerpBro]

My friend has a farm and never had a problem with the 3 capacitors. Not even one from hundreds.

All of mine are 3 cap molex. To be fair, i haven't had a problem either. I have a couple cards that seem a tad slower than they "should be".. figured trying new risers might help. And then thought why not just upgrade them all hehe.

[hozerdev]

Is it safe to connect molex or 6-pin cable directly to riser board?

No it is not safe. Actually depends on the current draw through the wires. There were couple of incidents when I almost caught a fire.  On my first rig when I connected 3 risers with 3 sata/molex adapters, the temperature of wires was around 70C, luckily I have a infrared/thermal camera.  So never connect risers with adapters more then 2 in parallel. The other day the contact of one adapter burned out, and happily a rig just hanged. These adapters usually are cheap and wires gauge could be lower then needed.
One more example of what could possibly go wrong with the wires (don't related to the adapters): https://imgur.com/f1fkSCZ https://imgur.com/RZ8BH3R
This outlet was a first in line and nothing was plugged in it, the rig was connected to the last outlet in the line. The outlet was hot around 80C. So you can see someone, maybe the previous tenant, used wire connectors and wrong wire gauge to connect 15 amp outlet in 20amp line.

[shibob]

I like Molex riser from Mintcell. And as I know riser ver.008 consumes lower 5W than ver.006.
So if you really care about power or difficult to make power plan, you could consider this. Also, I've just saw someone said riser ver.009 is available now, but I havent tested it yet.

[gt_addict]

I like Molex riser from Mintcell. And as I know riser ver.008 consumes lower 5W than ver.006.
So if you really care about power or difficult to make power plan, you could consider this. Also, I've just saw someone said riser ver.009 is available now, but I havent tested it yet.

You got any proof about the ver008 using less power?

[justchil]

I like Molex riser from Mintcell. And as I know riser ver.008 consumes lower 5W than ver.006.
So if you really care about power or difficult to make power plan, you could consider this. Also, I've just saw someone said riser ver.009 is available now, but I havent tested it yet.

You got any proof about the ver008 using less power?

Ahh beat me to it

I like Molex riser from Mintcell. And as I know riser ver.008 consumes lower 5W than ver.006.
So if you really care about power or difficult to make power plan, you could consider this. Also, I've just saw someone said riser ver.009 is available now, but I havent tested it yet.

Where is the data showing they use 5W less.  I hear from reputable miners these v8's are good... I use 6pin so it makes for a little extra mess in wiring but 5w on a lot of cards is a good deal of power saved.

[VyprBTC]

I expect more from Hero and members. Use search. It's on the manufacturers website, Want more proof contact manf.

[QuintLeo]

Hi guys,

Is it safe to connect molex or 6-pin cable directly to riser board?
As far as I read, the SATA/molex and SATA/6pin power adapters are the ones that should be avoided?

I bought a few riser boards with 6-pin power socket. Came with sata-6pin adapter cables. Should I be using them or try to connect a 6-pin cable directly from the psu 6-pin socket?

Thanks in advance, I also asked the same question in a few thread I posted regarding dual psu and riser boards.

 SATA connectors THEMSELVES are only rated for 54 watts of +12VDC draw, while the PCI-E spec for the bus allows for 75 watts draw.

 MOLEX are rated over 150 watts on the connector, the WIRING is what you have to watch there if you put more than one riser on a chain.

 PCI-E 6-pin using *2* +12VDC lines is good for almost 200 watts, the ones (not actual PCI-E spec) that have 3 +12VDC lines are good for 288.

 Molex and PCI-E 6-pin to riser are safe, SATA is problematic and often UNsafe.

 Keep in mind that the power conversion circuitry on the risers is NOT 100% efficient, so your actual draw from the power connector will be a little MORE than what the card itself is actually pulling.


 The only issue I have with the Mintcell risers to date is that once in a while the USB cable itself is iffy - but they're standard cables and cheap/easy to replace when that happens.

[gt_addict]

I expect more from Hero and members. Use search. It's on the manufacturers website, Want more proof contact manf.

Manufacturers in any line of business always exaggerate facts and figures. Proof is from someone (not associated with the manufacturers and unbiased) showing results from making independant tests.

Say i was a manufacturer building a new asic that could mine any coin and only use 100w for 100Th.  If i put details on my website with fake tables and graphs and you read that, would you believe me? No you wouldnt. You would ask for proof from someone (or an independant company) that could backup the manufacturers claims.

[illnino]

Gonna replace a couple i suspect might be causing slightly slower hash rates than other identical cards. Figure i might as well do them all.

Prefer molex. Unless there is a molex to 6pin adapter that doesn't need 2 molex connectors as input.

Usually if the riser pulls badly, then I sell it. But now I use Mailiya 6-Pack ordered with aliexpress. It came pretty quickly. And it works well.

[blevotron]

based on my expirience any pcie powered molex are great. version 6 version 7 doen't matter. 6pin power = no problem

[dcjim1]

Is it safe to connect molex or 6-pin cable directly to riser board?

No it is not safe. Actually depends on the current draw through the wires. There were couple of incidents when I almost caught a fire.  On my first rig when I connected 3 risers with 3 sata/molex adapters, the temperature of wires was around 70C, luckily I have a infrared/thermal camera.  So never connect risers with adapters more then 2 in parallel. The other day the contact of one adapter burned out, and happily a rig just hanged. These adapters usually are cheap and wires gauge could be lower then needed.
One more example of what could possibly go wrong with the wires (don't related to the adapters): https://imgur.com/f1fkSCZ https://imgur.com/RZ8BH3R
This outlet was a first in line and nothing was plugged in it, the rig was connected to the last outlet in the line. The outlet was hot around 80C. So you can see someone, maybe the previous tenant, used wire connectors and wrong wire gauge to connect 15 amp outlet in 20amp line.

wow I need one of those cameras... lol

would you recommend using a smart meter to monitor and remote restart the rig? or attach a meter at all at the plug?

[QuintLeo]

When I am assembling a rig, it is on a power meter as part of the process - more to "tune" the card settings to hit my 6 amp target power draw at the wall than any other reason, but sometimes it's a handy tool for troubleshooing issues.

 Otherwise I don't bother.

[papampi]

Hi guys,

Is it safe to connect molex or 6-pin cable directly to riser board?
As far as I read, the SATA/molex and SATA/6pin power adapters are the ones that should be avoided?

I bought a few riser boards with 6-pin power socket. Came with sata-6pin adapter cables. Should I be using them or try to connect a 6-pin cable directly from the psu 6-pin socket?

Thanks in advance, I also asked the same question in a few thread I posted regarding dual psu and riser boards.

 SATA connectors THEMSELVES are only rated for 54 watts of +12VDC draw, while the PCI-E spec for the bus allows for 75 watts draw.

 MOLEX are rated over 150 watts on the connector, the WIRING is what you have to watch there if you put more than one riser on a chain.

 PCI-E 6-pin using *2* +12VDC lines is good for almost 200 watts, the ones (not actual PCI-E spec) that have 3 +12VDC lines are good for 288.

 Molex and PCI-E 6-pin to riser are safe, SATA is problematic and often UNsafe.

 Keep in mind that the power conversion circuitry on the risers is NOT 100% efficient, so your actual draw from the power connector will be a little MORE than what the card itself is actually pulling.


 The only issue I have with the Mintcell risers to date is that once in a while the USB cable itself is iffy - but they're standard cables and cheap/easy to replace when that happens.

Good info, thanks for sharing

[dcjim1]

Hi guys,

Is it safe to connect molex or 6-pin cable directly to riser board?
As far as I read, the SATA/molex and SATA/6pin power adapters are the ones that should be avoided?

I bought a few riser boards with 6-pin power socket. Came with sata-6pin adapter cables. Should I be using them or try to connect a 6-pin cable directly from the psu 6-pin socket?

Thanks in advance, I also asked the same question in a few thread I posted regarding dual psu and riser boards.

 SATA connectors THEMSELVES are only rated for 54 watts of +12VDC draw, while the PCI-E spec for the bus allows for 75 watts draw.

 MOLEX are rated over 150 watts on the connector, the WIRING is what you have to watch there if you put more than one riser on a chain.

 PCI-E 6-pin using *2* +12VDC lines is good for almost 200 watts, the ones (not actual PCI-E spec) that have 3 +12VDC lines are good for 288.

 Molex and PCI-E 6-pin to riser are safe, SATA is problematic and often UNsafe.

 Keep in mind that the power conversion circuitry on the risers is NOT 100% efficient, so your actual draw from the power connector will be a little MORE than what the card itself is actually pulling.


 The only issue I have with the Mintcell risers to date is that once in a while the USB cable itself is iffy - but they're standard cables and cheap/easy to replace when that happens.

Thank you!

How do you tell PCI-E 6-pin with *2* vs *3* +12VDC, do I count the yellow cables? (the black ones are ground cable?)

I'm in the middle of a getting a single Seasonic 1300W PSU to hopefully power 6 rx580s... anything to watch out for?

[QuintLeo]

How do you tell PCI-E 6-pin with *2* vs *3* +12VDC, do I count the yellow cables? (the black ones are ground cable?)

I'm in the middle of a getting a single Seasonic 1300W PSU to hopefully power 6 rx580s... anything to watch out for?

 It's hard sometimes - but oftentimes one of the leads on the +12VDC side will be brown, other times it'll be smaller gauge, other times there is just no way to tell because they used all the same wires for "economy of scale in purchasing" reasons.

[dcjim1]

How do you tell PCI-E 6-pin with *2* vs *3* +12VDC, do I count the yellow cables? (the black ones are ground cable?)

I'm in the middle of a getting a single Seasonic 1300W PSU to hopefully power 6 rx580s... anything to watch out for?

 It's hard sometimes - but oftentimes one of the leads on the +12VDC side will be brown, other times it'll be smaller gauge, other times there is just no way to tell because they used all the same wires for "economy of scale in purchasing" reasons.

Any recommendation for PCIe power cable length?

The PSU comes with PCIe power cables with one 8pin input and two 6+2pin outputs, but the (6+2)pin outputs are too short apart to plug into riser board. Is it safe to add PCIe extention cords to just one of the (6+2)output end of the pcie power cable?

any maximum recommended length?

thanks in advance...

[gt_addict]

Should be fine. My total length of cables is about 2.5ft. I use extenstions/adapters to go from 6pin to 8pin.

[dcjim1]

Should be fine. My total length of cables is about 2.5ft. I use extenstions/adapters to go from 6pin to 8pin.

With the extension, my total length would get to about 3.5 ft.

I can't find anywhere in the pcie spec that calls for max cable length?

have I missed something?

[QuintLeo]

It's about the wiring, not the PCI-E spec itself.
I don't think they anticipated folks using wiring runs long enough for IIR losses to cause issues, or enough losses to cause noticeable voltage drop to the connector.

[david987]

 The only issue I have with the Mintcell risers to date is that once in a while the USB cable itself is iffy - but they're standard cables and cheap/easy to replace when that happens.

How does one determine the USB cable is iffy? I've had a few problems with Mintcell risers where the rig would freeze/lose GPU connection while mining - I just assumed they were beyond repair and replaced them. What are the signs of bad USB cables?

Also, check this out... Mintcell risers I got last week:
https://i.imgur.com/NIR87IZ.jpg
This one I didn't even try to use

https://i.imgur.com/eKGueEn.jpg
This one boots but makes the rig crash after 15min - 1 hour of mining. Are those capacitors supposed to be perfectly lined up?

[Sledge0001]

I have 4 rigs each running 8 GPU's a piece running these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074NX9B8V

They work well and I have 0 issues with them

[Swolemine]

I have 4 rigs each running 8 GPU's a piece running these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074NX9B8V

They work well and I have 0 issues with them

I use these as well. No issues.

[QuintLeo]

 The only issue I have with the Mintcell risers to date is that once in a while the USB cable itself is iffy - but they're standard cables and cheap/easy to replace when that happens.

How does one determine the USB cable is iffy? I've had a few problems with Mintcell risers where the rig would freeze/lose GPU connection while mining - I just assumed they were beyond repair and replaced them. What are the signs of bad USB cables?

Also, check this out... Mintcell risers I got last week:

This one I didn't even try to use

 Swap the cable.
 Trivial to troubleshoot if it's the cable that way.

 Good call on that riser, it's OBVIOUSLY messed up.
 Cap didn't get installed correctly and/or failed.


 The other one I can't say for sure - but it kinda looks like C13 should be there, and not sure if the 2 resistors under the right end of the PCI-E bus connector are needed if you are powering for MOLEX or not (the other regulator "missing" parts are probably for +5VDC supply and not needed with a MOLEX since the PS supplies +5VDC on a MOLEX connector).


 Is the bottom of it "bulged out" so that it CAN'T seat? If so, don't even THINK about trying it - it shorted out or something at some point and seems to be leaking as well.

[david987]

 Is the bottom of it "bulged out" so that it CAN'T seat? If so, don't even THINK about trying it - it shorted out or something at some point and seems to be leaking as well.

The bottom is bulged out yea, as if it burst. I've ordered risers from another brand (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074PS39BK) let's see if I have better luck. I'll try Victony ones next if not.

[dcjim1]

It's about the wiring, not the PCI-E spec itself.
I don't think they anticipated folks using wiring runs long enough for IIR losses to cause issues, or enough losses to cause noticeable voltage drop to the connector.

thanks for the response...

Would using or mixing 16AWG vs 18AWG pcie power cables make a big difference?

I'm using 18AWG cables from the PSU but need to add an extension cable so I can use the same power cable to plug into both the gpu and riser board (6pin), the original psu cable comes with two end points but is only long enough to reach either the gpu or riser but not both. The only extensions I could find right now are 16AWG cables. Any issues that may stem from attaching 16AWG extension cable(connect to riser board) to original 18AWG cable from psu?

[QuintLeo]

It never hurts to use TOO BIG of a wire, except where cost is a factor.

 Runs cooler, less IIR losses (though usually not a BIG difference on those factors for only going "one step" bigger).

[dcjim1]

It never hurts to use TOO BIG of a wire, except where cost is a factor.

 Runs cooler, less IIR losses (though usually not a BIG difference on those factors for only going "one step" bigger).

Cost is certainly a factor ... lol

but I definitely want to be on the safe side.

the more info I dig the more question arise out of them...

It seems to me most of the parts are standard manufacturing, including motherboards, and the only non standard equipments are the riser boards and custom chasis. Any reason why motherboard makers wont release standard x1 - x16 boards that are tested safe to use with PSUs ?

I feel folks would pay a little premium for those parts if they are standardized?

As for chasis/mounting frames, if anyone has a recommendation i'd greatly appreciate it.

I read some debates on wood vs metal, and am somewhat leaning towards metal frames made from iron....

some folks recommend aluminium, but isnt aluminum too good of a conductor to mount electronics on? last I checked, iron is much less conductive?

[QuintLeo]

You don't mount DIRECTLY to the aluminum as such, you use spacers - both MB and riser cards have "isolated" mounting holes so you can get away with using brass or steel spacers.

Iron is close on conductivity to aluminum.
Both are somewhat inferior to copper silver and gold but ALL of them are "conductors" and conduct electricity well.

 Many high-tension power lines back in the past used an iron core with copper electroplated to that core.
 Today the core is usually aluminum due to it being lighter while still being stronger than copper.


 Riser cards ARE fairly standardized - that's why you see so many folks offering the "same version" risers.
 I have no clue who originates the design for each version.

[dcjim1]

You don't mount DIRECTLY to the aluminum as such, you use spacers - both MB and riser cards have "isolated" mounting holes so you can get away with using brass or steel spacers.

Iron is close on conductivity to aluminum.
Both are somewhat inferior to copper silver and gold but ALL of them are "conductors" and conduct electricity well.

 Many high-tension power lines back in the past used an iron core with copper electroplated to that core.
 Today the core is usually aluminum due to it being lighter while still being stronger than copper.


 Riser cards ARE fairly standardized - that's why you see so many folks offering the "same version" risers.
 I have no clue who originates the design for each version.

I got an open frame steel case that mounts everything including the power supply. Everything except for the PSU will be mounted with either spacer or rubber pad (riser boards).

Am I supposed to mount the psu first and ground it? It looks like PSU is the only component that directly touch the steel frame.

[QuintLeo]

The case of the PS is isolated - doesn't matter if you let it ground or not.

[philipma1957]

make sure the risers are isolated from the case.

[koinli]

im using this risers too;

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAF6B6KW0303&ignorebbr=1&_ga=2.198289579.52438579.1513916211-662120618.1511639750&_gac=1.159115080.1513117807.CjwKCAiAmb7RBRATEiwA7kS8VB89-cj6yuKOs0-abQ2vnt1LiSmLmR8G3VfTNIhrXEEolq7alAv6MRoCuAMQAvD_BwE

[Bellator]

make sure the risers are isolated from the case.

Well I don't think some of those operating miners miss it out isolating the risers from the case. Its an important options to do since that the hardware is very sensitive to heat and dust being accumulated during the running conditions. Proper handling is one of the good ways to observe specially the investments in mining harware is costly.

[QuintLeo]

make sure the risers are isolated from the case.

 Every riser I've seen to date comes with a fairly thick "rubbery pad" on the bottom that works as an insulator, and isolated screwholes for mounting.



 

[dcjim1]

make sure the risers are isolated from the case.

Thanks.

I'm also wondering if it makes sense to buy an all-in-one riser (with all 3 power sockets SATA/Molex/6Pin), instead of a single 6PIN riser board?

The only issue is the location of 6pin socket of  all-in-one riser is in the middle right next to the pcie slot. The single purpose 6pin riser boards have them in the back.

I will have the gpu cards line up parallel to each other, so if the 6pin socket must go in between the cards there will be some air flow issues? much rather have them in the back so the power cable doesnt have to go between the gpu cards which could get pretty hot?

[QuintLeo]

If I could find a GOOD MOLEX riser, I'd go with it - but so far no luck.
The all-in-one risers I've gotten from COBOC via Newegg have been hassle-free.
The Mintcell all-in-one risers worked, but the USB cable was iffy and had to be replaced to work well on one.

[VyprBTC]

If I could find a GOOD MOLEX riser, I'd go with it - but so far no luck.
The all-in-one risers I've gotten from COBOC via Newegg have been hassle-free.
The Mintcell all-in-one risers worked, but the USB cable was iffy and had to be replaced to work well on one.

USB Cables I received were rigid white ones, and I was having problems with more than a few of them. Waiting on new longer cables now but so far that's what seems to be the main issue. I do like them so far though.

[bigjee]

make sure the risers are isolated from the case.

 Every riser I've seen to date comes with a fairly thick "rubbery pad" on the bottom that works as an insulator, and isolated screwholes for mounting.

 

The very first riser I bought a ver 006C didnt come with insulation.
I had to cutout the black foam packaging in my gpu box to fit under the riser and then I zip tied it.

I recently bought an Add2psu and it was missing the bottom insulation also.  

[QuintLeo]

I've never used an add2PSU on my own rigs (though the rig I consulted on for someone else used one) so I can't really speak to those.

[64dimensions]

If I could find a GOOD MOLEX riser, I'd go with it - but so far no luck.
The all-in-one risers I've gotten from COBOC via Newegg have been hassle-free.
The Mintcell all-in-one risers worked, but the USB cable was iffy and had to be replaced to work well on one.

It seems like this riser with the same rev and appearance is available on amazon at a cheaper price:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074Z754LT/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I've used them for a couple of weeks with no problems so far.

[dcjim1]

If I could find a GOOD MOLEX riser, I'd go with it - but so far no luck.
The all-in-one risers I've gotten from COBOC via Newegg have been hassle-free.
The Mintcell all-in-one risers worked, but the USB cable was iffy and had to be replaced to work well on one.

whats the reason for choosing Molex over 6PIN riser board?

Is it better to hook them up via Molex instead of  single 8pin pcie cable with 6pin piggy tail?

[QuintLeo]

Limitations on available PCI-E power connections on power supplies is why I prefer MOLEX powered risers - nothing to do with the power connector itself as both are plenty to handle riser power requirements.

I don't like using "splitters" when I can avoid them - and most splitters are too short to WORK anyway.

They're also an added expense, while the power supply comes with MOLEX power leads that generally don't get used otherwise.

[zeef]

Hi guys,

I have one vega 64 rig with this risers: https://miningwholesale.eu/product/pci-express-riser-009s-extender-card-adapter-6-pin/   (PCEN164P-N03)

The rig is rocked stable for months,

My doubt is the color of the riser leds, they are permanet red since the beggining,  shouldn t be blue, im seeing rigs that is blue for normal functionality ..

My rig:  https://s15.postimg.cc/xk2advqjr/64_rig.png

Thanks

[Comino]

When you choose a riser, consider:

1. high-quality plugs
2. Gold-fingers in knife connector
3. use a good quality commutation cable
4. solid capacitors not electrolytic
5. use a power converter of a major manufacturer, not Chinese

[QuintLeo]

When you choose a riser, consider:

4. solid capacitors not electrolytic

 Solid capacitors are A TYPE OF electrolytic.

[QuintLeo]

My doubt is the color of the riser leds, they are permanet red since the beggining,  shouldn t be blue, im seeing rigs that is blue for normal functionality ..

Depends on the riser - all of the ones I've used to date that have a "power good" indicator use a red LED, probably because those are more common and less expensive than blue.

[jillscarbrough]

The best USB riser is that has (IMO):

• Lots of capacitors
  some types only have 1 or 2 of these components
  
• Led indicator
• IC component
  because some types do not have this component
  
• Voltage Regulator Protect
  because some types do not have this component
  

I have used these type:

• VER008C
• VER008S
• VER006C
• VER006

[dragonmike]

The best USB riser is that has (IMO):

• Lots of capacitors
  some types only have 1 or 2 of these components
  
• Led indicator
• IC component
  because some types do not have this component
  
• Voltage Regulator Protect
  because some types do not have this component
  

I have used these type:

• VER008C
• VER008S
• VER006C
• VER006

Out of all these you listed, most have SATA power connectors.
That kinda sucks.
Only VER006 has molex (they include SATA adaptors but you don't have to use them - could just connect molex directly from PSU).

[jillscarbrough]

Yes, I know.
Until now I use it because I like to use various types of USB Risers to find out every performance. I have enough SATA / Molex connectors from the PSU. I intentionally did it not only saw the rig run smoothly but tried to learn every component in the Rig even though it took extra time.

The most important are these points:

The best USB riser is that has (IMO):

• Lots of capacitors
  some types only have 1 or 2 of these components
  
• Led indicator
• IC component
  because some types do not have this component
  
• Voltage Regulator Protect
  because some types do not have this component
  

[gsrcrxsi314]

In my opinion, the best risers are the Blue V006c risers that have a single 6-pin power connection that is front facing.

This is because you can put the cards closer together without having anything between the cards. The V008 risers are nice with multiple connection types, but having the SATA front facing and the 6-pin on the side is pointless. When using the 6-pin connector on V008, it causes clearance issues between cards when you want to push the cards tightly together.

Personally I’m most cases, I use a splitter to split a single 8-pin PCIe connector to 2x 6+2 pin connectors. I then plug one into the riser and one into the cards PCIe connector. Allowing me to reduce cable clutter and power both the card and the riser from the same single 8-pin PCIe. Works great.

[QuintLeo]

This is because you can put the cards closer together without having anything between the cards. The V008 risers are nice with multiple connection types, but having the SATA front facing and the 6-pin on the side is pointless. When using the 6-pin connector on V008, it causes clearance issues between cards when you want to push the cards tightly together.

Personally I’m most cases, I use a splitter to split a single 8-pin PCIe connector to 2x 6+2 pin connectors. I then plug one into the riser and one into the cards PCIe connector. Allowing me to reduce cable clutter and power both the card and the riser from the same single 8-pin PCIe. Works great.

If you are pushing the cards THAT close together, they're not getting air and overheating.
The triple-power risers are NOT all that wide.

Most multi-card rigs need all the PCI-E power connections to power CARDS with, it's uncommon for there to be enough "spare" PCI-E connections to power more than 1 or 2 risers with them.
Splitting an 8-pin to a pair of 6-pin connectors shouldn't be an issue though, if you use a high quality splitter.

[gsrcrxsi314]

This is because you can put the cards closer together without having anything between the cards. The V008 risers are nice with multiple connection types, but having the SATA front facing and the 6-pin on the side is pointless. When using the 6-pin connector on V008, it causes clearance issues between cards when you want to push the cards tightly together.

Personally I’m most cases, I use a splitter to split a single 8-pin PCIe connector to 2x 6+2 pin connectors. I then plug one into the riser and one into the cards PCIe connector. Allowing me to reduce cable clutter and power both the card and the riser from the same single 8-pin PCIe. Works great.

If you are pushing the cards THAT close together, they're not getting air and overheating.
The triple-power risers are NOT all that wide.

Most multi-card rigs need all the PCI-E power connections to power CARDS with, it's uncommon for there to be enough "spare" PCI-E connections to power more than 1 or 2 risers with them.
Splitting an 8-pin to a pair of 6-pin connectors shouldn't be an issue though, if you use a high quality splitter.

False. I’ve done this. The cards run just fine. I’m talking about a similar spacing that is in use on the Octominer boards. They don’t have any problems. You don’t know what you’re talking about in a real world situation, just your speculation.



8 cards with very small spacing between cards in a Rosewill RSV-L4500 case with 3 fans on both sides. The cards basically exist in a wind tunnel here and all the hot air is immediately exhausted. And only possible when using a riser with front facing power connections. And since SATA connectors are not reliable, are inferior. My concern isn’t that there is 3 connectors. My concern is that the 6 pin should be the one that is front facing. Using the 6pin is the best option. And if the 6pin is on the side then it puts limits on how close the cards can be. Look at the picture at the bottom of the first page to see what I mean about the power connection being on the side

[jillscarbrough]

your Mining Rig looks very neat dude, usually, a frame like that when placed on the floor using a carpet or your floor looks from wood. by the way, I see the distance between each card is too close together, is there a problem with the temperature on each card.

[gsrcrxsi314]

your Mining Rig looks very neat dude, usually, a frame like that when placed on the floor using a carpet or your floor looks from wood. by the way, I see the distance between each card is too close together, is there a problem with the temperature on each card.

Like I said. No there isn’t any problem with temp. There are 6 fans surrounding the cards that pull air across them.

I set the software to keep the cards at 65C, and each card modulates it’s fan to maintain that with fan speeds varying from 25-70% fan speed depending on the ambient temp

[dragonmike]

your Mining Rig looks very neat dude, usually, a frame like that when placed on the floor using a carpet or your floor looks from wood. by the way, I see the distance between each card is too close together, is there a problem with the temperature on each card.

Like I said. No there isn’t any problem with temp. There are 6 fans surrounding the cards that pull air across them.

What GPUs are these? 6-pin connector only means probably RX 560's?
I always find myself cursing the PSUs because they never seem to have enough cables to feed all PCI-E's or Molex or both...

[huntingthesnark]

your Mining Rig looks very neat dude, usually, a frame like that when placed on the floor using a carpet or your floor looks from wood. by the way, I see the distance between each card is too close together, is there a problem with the temperature on each card.

Like I said. No there isn’t any problem with temp. There are 6 fans surrounding the cards that pull air across them.

What GPUs are these? 6-pin connector only means probably RX 560's?
I always find myself cursing the PSUs because they never seem to have enough cables to feed all PCI-E's or Molex or both...

Or rx470/480s. I dunno, 6 cards on an evga 1300, 9 on a 1600, leaves some overhead and nothing melts...

[gsrcrxsi314]

your Mining Rig looks very neat dude, usually, a frame like that when placed on the floor using a carpet or your floor looks from wood. by the way, I see the distance between each card is too close together, is there a problem with the temperature on each card.

Like I said. No there isn’t any problem with temp. There are 6 fans surrounding the cards that pull air across them.

What GPUs are these? 6-pin connector only means probably RX 560's?
I always find myself cursing the PSUs because they never seem to have enough cables to feed all PCI-E's or Molex or both...

They are RX570s and 580s. They both have 8-pin connectors. The only thing that has 6-pin is the riser itself.

[jillscarbrough]

Like I said. No there isn’t any problem with temp. There are 6 fans surrounding the cards that pull air across them.

I just saw it before I didn't realize it. Does it use VPM like delta and that frame like CPU in general? If true I will try to assemble it like that.

I usually assemble a rig from wood and aluminum.

[gsrcrxsi314]

Like I said. No there isn’t any problem with temp. There are 6 fans surrounding the cards that pull air across them.

I just saw it before I didn't realize it. Does it use VPM like delta and that frame like CPU in general? If true I will try to assemble it like that.

I usually assemble a rig from wood and aluminum.

I’m not sure what you’re trying to ask. I don’t know what VPM is or what you mean in reference to the CPU.

But the fans are Noctua iPPC 2000 rpm fans.