preface:
During the computer installation process, generally the graphics card is installed last. Many people think that the graphics card installation is very simple, it is nothing more than two steps: insert the graphics card into the and graphics card to connect the power supply to . Some graphics cards do not even require external power supply.
However, there are many details that need to be paid attention to during the installation process. Improper operation may cause the computer to not light up , or to damage the hardware .
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platform introduction, CPU installation (AMD/Intel), memory installation, hard disk installation, air/water cooling installation, motherboard installation, radiator/fan installation, power supply installation, how to wire, graphics card installation, monitor link. As shown below:
In the last issue, we taught how to connect all the wiring and interfaces of the computer? And what needs to be paid attention to, and what are the common mistakes? In this issue of
we continue to teach - the installation process of graphics card, the knowledge expansion included in the process, and precautions.
recommends : Knowledge points are easy to forget, so it is recommended to pay attention and collect them first.
graphics card installation
1. Before installing the graphics card, remove the dust plug of the video interface. The end of the
graphics card is the video interface. It is blocked by dust plugs . To prevent the dust plug from being blocked by the horizontal bar in the middle of the PCIe slot of some chassis after installation, it cannot be pulled out. Be careful to pull out the dust-proof plugs of all video interfaces in advance.
If you don’t need the video interface, you can put the dust plug back in after the installation is complete.
2. Remove the protective cover on the gold finger.
is in the lower left corner of the bottom of the graphics card. You can see a long horizontal slot, which is wrapped by a black plastic protective sleeve . It needs to be removed before installation, and what is exposed afterwards is the PCIe interface of the graphics card, also known as the "golden finger" of the graphics card.
Note: Generally, one or several pins in the
gold finger are shorter than other pins. This is a normal phenomenon.
3. The location of the graphics card on the motherboard:
The horizontal slot in the middle of the motherboard is the PCIe slot , which is used to install graphics cards and various PCIe devices.
Many motherboards will have several PCIe slots.
4. Which graphics card slot should I plug into?
Although the graphics card slot looks the same. But its speed is different from .
Most motherboards are . The first slot is the fastest and has the lowest latency, which is the direct-connected slot .
The second slot is usually half speed . Do not install the graphics card on it.
Note:
Of course, there are rare exceptions. For example, MSI 's Z97 XPOWER has five full-length PCIe slots. The top slot of
is the half-speed slot split from PLX. The second slot of
is the full-speed slot that is directly connected to the CPU, so this motherboard graphics card must be installed in the second slot.
Of course, with very special exceptions, more than 99% of motherboards have the top full-length slot at full speed. Generally there is no need to read the motherboard manual.
5. How to install and fix the graphics card?
[Step 1]: Horizontally align the PCIe interface of the graphics card and the PCIe slot of the motherboard. Be careful not to plug it in here yet. First, check the position to see which PCIe baffles of the chassis the video interface baffle of the graphics card will conflict with.Then remove the baffle blocking the video interface .
Note:
Due to different chassis, the graphics card PCIe baffle removal method is not fixed. The four types are introduced below:
(1): The PCIe baffle of some chassis is fixed with screws. The screws need to be unscrewed to remove the bezel.
(2): welded disposable baffle. Bend it inward and outward several times, then break it off. Be careful not to scratch the capacitor of the motherboard when bending.
(3): Some chassis have a baffle at the PCIe screw fixing position. Remember to loosen the screws in advance and remove them before installation. Just reinstall it after installation is complete.
(4): There are also some cases where the PCIe screw-fixing baffles are not screws, but buckled in, and can be removed manually.
[Step 2]: Place the chassis lying down with the motherboard facing the ceiling of the house. Prevent the graphics card from crushing the PCIe slot due to gravity before tightening the screws.
[Step 3]: Before installing the graphics card, you need to press the plastic buckle at the end of the PCIe slot and point the graphics card fan towards the bottom of the chassis. With the video interface facing the position where the bezel was removed just now, align the graphics card vertically and insert it as far as it will go.
Note:
Do not press the power supply interface. It is best to press in the middle just above the PCIe slot .
[Step 4]: After is installed to the end, you will hear a click, and the black plastic buckle on the far right side of the motherboard PCIe slot will automatically snap onto . The corners of the video interface baffle of the graphics card will also fit into the PCIe screws of the chassis.
[Step 5]: Find the large hexagonal screws from the screw accessories bag. Screw this into the corner of the graphics card's video connector bezel. A total of two screws need to be tightened.
At this point, the installation of the graphics card is complete.
The graphics card’s power supply is connected to
[Step 1]: is connected to the graphics card’s external power supply. Generally, the power supply interface of the graphics card is on the right side of the graphics card.
Take the RTX3090 Super Dragon we used for this installation as an example:
You can see that there are three 8Pin external power supply interfaces.
Let’s go to the power supply cable on the back of the chassis. The 6Pin+2Pin line in the power cable is the power supply cable of the graphics card. 6Pin of
can be used alone or combined with 2Pin to become 8Pin.
Note:
(1): After the merger, the buckle of the cable should be exactly in the middle of the combination plug. not in the middle is wrong .
(2): If you need to use two 6+2Pin cables at the same time, you must ensure that 6Pin and 2Pin are from the same cable when combining. Using two cables of to cross connect is also wrong.
[Step 2]: because our graphics card has three 8Pin interfaces. So you need to pull out three wires.
combines 6Pin and 2Pin into 8Pin, which is inserted vertically into the power supply interface of the graphics card. After it is inserted in the end, the plastic buckle on the cable will snap shut automatically. The other two cables can be made in the same way.
At this point, the power supply to the graphics card is completely connected. The graphics card installation is also completed.
extended knowledge and precautions.
[1]: Some low-end graphics cards may not have additional external power supply, and does not need to be connected to .
has an external power supply. You need to connect as many pins as there are power supplies. cannot leave empty.
For example, for 6Pin, only connect 6Pin, and the extra 2Pin can be hung on the side.
Pin is merged into a 6+2Pin and connected; +6Pin is merged into a 6+2 pin.Then connect a 6Pin separately; for +8Pin, merge two 6+2 pins and connect them; if is 8+8+8Pin, then you need to merge three 6+2Pin connections. No matter how many power supply interfaces has, be sure to plug them all in.
[2]: is less connected or not fully inserted. After turning on the computer, you will see a string like this in English. Translated into Chinese, it means that you should shut down the computer first, and then connect the PCIe power supply of all graphics cards.
[Three]: Many power supplies will provide such 2-point cable , with two 2+6Pin interfaces on one line.
personal suggestion:
only use one interface when it is not necessary, and hang the other one next to it.
Reason:
Because there are only 3 sets of 12V power supply in the 6+2Pin power supply of the graphics card, and each terminal carries 6-8A current. In other words, it can carry a total power consumption of 216-288W.
However, in fact, due to factors such as insufficient pressure on the terminal, improper installation, excessive temperature, some manufacturers cutting corners on wires, etc., the wire carrying capacity will decrease. In actual use, do not let the load-bearing pressure of one cable exceed 200W.
Otherwise, the overload protection of the power supply will be triggered by playing with it. A sudden power outage may result in a black screen, or even in extreme cases, the cable sheath may melt, causing an accidental hazard.
[Four]: If your graphics card is a mid-to-low-end graphics card such as 3050/3060, the power consumption of the entire card is less than 200W.
Since the PCIe slot itself can provide about 70W of power consumption, the actual external power consumption required is less than 200W.
If the graphics card itself has dual 8Pin, then you can use 1/2 wires normally and use one cable to carry all the external power supply.
But if your graphics card is a high-end graphics card such as 3080Ti or 3090, the power consumption has reached about 400W. Excluding the power supply provided by the PCIe slot, the external power supply still requires more than 300 watts.
[5]: If the graphics card still only provides two 8Pin interfaces, you will still use a 1/2 line at this time. This single cable must carry the entire power consumption of 300W. There is a high probability that will cause the cable overload terminal to melt down . So in this case 2 cables must be used.
[6]: Special case , if your graphics card has three 8-pin graphics cards and the power consumption is very high, but there are only two 1/2 wires in the power supply, then when connecting, follow the installation method as shown in the picture:
The leftmost interface has an exclusive 1/2 wire. The second 1/2-wire inner port of
is connected to the power supply interface in the middle of the graphics card. The outer port of
is connected to the power supply interface on the far right side of the graphics card.
Reason:
This is done because when the graphics card takes power, it will give priority to the power supply interface closer to the core. The port with the highest pressure is the port on the left. This allows the 1/2 cable on the right to carry less power consumption.
[Seven]: Finally, you will see such a power supply interface on RTX3090Ti and 40 series graphics cards. It is a brand new 12+4Pin in the ATX3.0 specification, also called a 16Pin interface.
only connects 12Pin and can provide up to 450W power consumption. Connecting 16Pin can provide 600W power consumption.
[eight]: Most of the recently launched high-power power supplies will be shipped from the factory with standard 16Pin module wire . If you have purchased a power supply before, you can also apply for it from the manufacturer separately or purchase a 16Pin module cable.
connects the 2×8Pin to the PCIe/CPU area of the power module interface, and then pulls the 16Pin plug out of the power compartment. Align the 16Pin with the power supply interface of the graphics card.
Note:
The position of the small 4Pin signal line should not be too high up and down. , forcefully insert the power supply interface to the end. After inserting to the end, the plastic buckle will automatically snap in and out. The 16Pin power supply is connected.
[9]: If your power supply is non-modular power supply and the wire cannot be replaced, or you are too lazy or forget to go to the manufacturer to apply for or purchase a 16Pin cable, you can also find a 16Pin to 3x8Pin or 4x8Pin adapter cable in the graphics card box.
is connected to the graphics card, so that the 16Pin becomes the same multiple 6+2Pin as before. Just pull the cord from the power supply and connect it.
At this point, all the precautions for the power supply connection of the graphics card have been introduced.
In the next issue, we will explain in detail the specific installation methods and precautions for all accessories - how to connect the computer host to the monitor? How to connect various external plug-in cables? and precautions.
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