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HP Recommended
HP Z620
Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit)

I would like to fit to my Z620 workstation new GPU card. I see that there are two pci-e auxiliary power connectors parked to the plastic bracket. I was planning to use these two to power up my new graphic card but I see potential issues.
The problem is that pin-out in these two connectors is not really up to PCI-e spec. There are five female terminals in each 6 ways connector. All three terminals in upper row are ground and two terminals in bottom are 12V. Cavity 6 is empty in both connectors. As far as I know PCI-e power connectors should have 12V power provided to cavity no.4 and cavity no.6. Do I have to manually change pinout in these two connectors and move 12V terminal from cavity no.5 to cavity no.6 or perhaps there is some adapter from HP that could solve this problem?

 

connectors

PCI-e

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

Only HP knows what HP has designed (and why) and as such one can't simply assume that a connector on a system is 'standards' compliant and not a 'psudo proprietary' connector (as seems to be the case with your PEG connector that is missing pin #3).

 

Normally a 2x3 PEG connector can supply 75W and as such, each 12V pin supplies 1/3 of this power budget. That means the HP 'psydo proprietary' PEG connector, for the want of a better term,  may only be capable of supplying 50W (if each ping is kept to the same current capabilities as used in the standard 2x3 PEG connector).

 

This then seems to indicate the Z620 can only support a 175W graphics cards (using 75W from PCIe + 50W from each of the two 2x3 PEG connectors). Note that the standard allows 225W graphics cards pulling 75W from the PCIe slot and 75W from each 2x3 PEG connector!

 

So, one way to quantify this is to look at the quickspec for your Z620 and see what graphics cards are certified for use with your system. Then knowing what cards are certified for your system, you can check what PEG connectors if any are provided on these certified cards and also check what their power consumption is. I'd guess that HP has not certified any graphics cards that require more than 175W of juice...

 

Since you say your card draws 165W, that power budget seems OK when considering the above. So it should just be a matter of plugging in both 2x3 PEG connectors and all should be well.

 

However, it you want a more powerful card, purely based on the fact that a standard 2x4 PEG connector can supply 150W using three 12V pins, this would indicate that each pins can supply 50W. Assuming the pins used in a 2x3 and 2x4 PEG conector are the same, a 2x3 power connector with only two 12V pins could in theory supply 100W each. Thus you could in theory use a 275W card in the PCIe slot with your 2 psudo proprietary HP PEG connectors. BUT this is assuming something about the pins themselves and that your HP power supply is up to the task (and can actually provide the needed 275W of power).

 

And i'd say that if you wanted a 225W graphics card that is supported by the standards, likley it would be a simple mod to jumper 12V from one of the pins to the vacant position normally used by pin3  (12V).  I'd be surprised if the HP PSU supply and PEG wiring couldn't handle the extra 50W needed. But that may be a little too much for some who value warranty.

 

In any case, without owning a Z620, i'd be comfortable in stating you'd have no issue with your 165W graphics card and those hybrid psudo proprietary 2x3 PEG connectors as is 🙂

 

(Heck, i've had no issues with a 35W graphics card in a 25W capable PCIe slot of my Dell T610 server which only supports graphics via the inetgrated adapter)...

 

But really, who knows why HP used only two 12V pins in their PEG connectors, maybe they used better quality PINS and they were sufficient for the cards they chose to certify. Maybe that 2 cents saving for one less pin was enough of a driving force... Only HP knows what HP does...

 

 

 

View solution in original post

15 REPLIES 15
HP Recommended

You don't state what type of card or what its total power draw will be.  I've never had a problem with the HP-provided PCIe supplemental power cables providing what I needed for any video card wired as they are, but your needs might be different.

 

Here is a great resource, directly from nVidia:

 

http://www.nvidia.com/content/quadro/pdf/quadro-power-guidelines.pdf

 

The PCIe x16 video slots have been rated for up to 75W from the slot itself, and the supplemental cables generally provide an added 75W.... this info will be in the technical and service manual for your Z620, which you can find via google and download.  So, up to 150W is easy.  You also can aggregate other power sources to get to the 8-port standard with quality adapters.  The xw6400 provided less, and the xw6600 came up in power.  The Z600 and Z620 have been up in power supply through their video slots too.

 

I believe HP's engineering would be providing you PCIe supplemental video power cables with above, rather than below, the ATX standards.

HP Recommended

My card power draw is specified for 165W. It has two 6 pin connectors.  Nvidia guidelines says that power connectors should have three ways 12V feed while HP Z620 supplemental connectors have only two as you can see in my previous post.

PCIe_12V.JPG

 

HP Recommended

Only HP knows what HP has designed (and why) and as such one can't simply assume that a connector on a system is 'standards' compliant and not a 'psudo proprietary' connector (as seems to be the case with your PEG connector that is missing pin #3).

 

Normally a 2x3 PEG connector can supply 75W and as such, each 12V pin supplies 1/3 of this power budget. That means the HP 'psydo proprietary' PEG connector, for the want of a better term,  may only be capable of supplying 50W (if each ping is kept to the same current capabilities as used in the standard 2x3 PEG connector).

 

This then seems to indicate the Z620 can only support a 175W graphics cards (using 75W from PCIe + 50W from each of the two 2x3 PEG connectors). Note that the standard allows 225W graphics cards pulling 75W from the PCIe slot and 75W from each 2x3 PEG connector!

 

So, one way to quantify this is to look at the quickspec for your Z620 and see what graphics cards are certified for use with your system. Then knowing what cards are certified for your system, you can check what PEG connectors if any are provided on these certified cards and also check what their power consumption is. I'd guess that HP has not certified any graphics cards that require more than 175W of juice...

 

Since you say your card draws 165W, that power budget seems OK when considering the above. So it should just be a matter of plugging in both 2x3 PEG connectors and all should be well.

 

However, it you want a more powerful card, purely based on the fact that a standard 2x4 PEG connector can supply 150W using three 12V pins, this would indicate that each pins can supply 50W. Assuming the pins used in a 2x3 and 2x4 PEG conector are the same, a 2x3 power connector with only two 12V pins could in theory supply 100W each. Thus you could in theory use a 275W card in the PCIe slot with your 2 psudo proprietary HP PEG connectors. BUT this is assuming something about the pins themselves and that your HP power supply is up to the task (and can actually provide the needed 275W of power).

 

And i'd say that if you wanted a 225W graphics card that is supported by the standards, likley it would be a simple mod to jumper 12V from one of the pins to the vacant position normally used by pin3  (12V).  I'd be surprised if the HP PSU supply and PEG wiring couldn't handle the extra 50W needed. But that may be a little too much for some who value warranty.

 

In any case, without owning a Z620, i'd be comfortable in stating you'd have no issue with your 165W graphics card and those hybrid psudo proprietary 2x3 PEG connectors as is 🙂

 

(Heck, i've had no issues with a 35W graphics card in a 25W capable PCIe slot of my Dell T610 server which only supports graphics via the inetgrated adapter)...

 

But really, who knows why HP used only two 12V pins in their PEG connectors, maybe they used better quality PINS and they were sufficient for the cards they chose to certify. Maybe that 2 cents saving for one less pin was enough of a driving force... Only HP knows what HP does...

 

 

 

HP Recommended

Skylarking and OP,

 

The Z620 power supply is easy to release and rotate out so you can see the amperage label on the top for the different cables.... those two auxiliary PCIe power cables the OP showed in his original picture are "G1" and "G2" both on the plug end and the power supply label.  Each of G1 and G2 are rated on the power supply specs label at 18A 12V.  That's a lot of watts worth of power available through each cable if you do the math.  I'd never run them at that max, of course.

 

So, the capacity before you blow a fuse in the power supply is well over the ATX standard of 75 watts for each auxiliary PCIe video cable.  In fact, there is a Z workstation instruction sheet for high power video cards that shows HP included an adapter with some cards that let you split one of their 6-pin auxiliary PCIe power cables (G1 or G2) into two 6-pin plugs for a card that needed to be fed power that way.

 

Yes, you are right that HP does not follow ATX standards..... these are not consumer grade workstations.  They are engineered to higher levels.

 

I would not hesitate to power up that card with those two 6-pin plugs, and even would not hesitate to power it off one of those plugs if I had the HP 6-pin splitters noted above.

HP Recommended

Finally found a web link for the Z series high power video card info I referenced:

 

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03276836

 

12V x 18A = 216 watts.... well beyond the consumer grade ATX standard of 75W per cable.  Not that I'm recommending you push close to that limit.  However, this is why HP is able to provide power adapters for the Z series supplemental PCIe video power cables.  One of those adapters takes a 6-port plug/cable and converts it into a single 8-port plug, and the other takes a 6-port plug/cable and converts it into two 6-port plugs.  So, for a 165W card there will be a lot of breathing room with even just one cable used.

 

Added good news is that video cards keep getting more powerful despite less power used.

 

Here's a screen shot of those HP adapters:

 

HP Power Adapter.jpg

HP Recommended

Scott, thanks for the further about the power supply which i'm sure the OP will find helpful.

Me, i don't have a z620 so can't look at the PSU 🙂

But in my limited exposure to HP, via my Z210, i'd agree HP design their workstations in a robust way. 

 

I guess the point of my post, without resorting to looking at spec sheets and other docs, was to provide the OP with a method to reason that what he was doing was reasonable despite the PEG connector not being standards compliant by virtue of a missing pin. I'd say it was this non compliant connectors that was the causing teh confusion and now that should be resolved in his mind.  

 

As to why HP chose to ommit one power pin within the PEG connector is anyones gues as only HP knows why they designed it in that way and it's not a critisism, just what i see as a fact. Reason for design choices are usually not in the public domain.

 

As for specs, i long for the old days where specs were real specifications of a system and not sales brochures :?

 

 

HP Recommended

Skylarking,

 

Good to have your input.... been missing it!

 

Agree.... it has been hard lately to find this information from the technical and service manuals.  I'm happy we worked on it because I've never seen it documented officially by HP.  Now, at least, those who search the forum will hopefully find this info and nor worry about powering up their video cards so much.

 

Scott

HP Recommended

Thanks for this very helpful thread.
On my HP Z620, the G1 and G2 power cables, although they are 6 pin, only have 5 of the pins wired.

Also, one of the pins has 2 cables merged onto one.

Why is that?
Will the adapter you discussed there work to power an 8pin GTX graphics card? (gtx 1060 in this case)

 

I see maplin and other online retailers sell PCIE 6pin female to 2 x 8pin male adapters.
Would that work?

HP Recommended
It should work. I have GTX 980 in my Z620 powered by two auxiliary connectors through 6 pin to 8 pin adapters and it works.
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