A technician is installing a dedicated PCIe expansion card with a total rated power draw o… — CompTIA A+ (Core 1 & Core 2)

A technician is installing a dedicated PCIe expansion card with a total rated power draw of $150\text{ W}$ . The motherboard slot delivers up to $75\text{ W}$ through the PCIe bus. Which auxiliary power connection must be connected from the power supply unit (PSU) to fulfill the expansion card's remaining power requirement?

A 6-pin PCIe power cable, which provides up to $75\text{ W}$ of supplemental +12V power.Answer
B
An 8-pin EPS12V power cable, which supplies +12V power intended for expansion card slots.
C
A 4-pin SATA power connector, which supplies $75\text{ W}$ of dedicated power to PCIe cards.
D
No auxiliary cable is needed, as PCIe x16 motherboard slots automatically scale bus power up to $300\text{ W}$ .

Answer

A 6-pin PCIe power cable must be connected to provide the remaining

75\text{ W}

of supplemental power required by the expansion card.

PCIe slots deliver a maximum of

75\text{ W}

through the motherboard bus. A card requiring

150\text{ W}

needs an additional

75\text{ W}

, which is precisely provided by a single 6-pin PCIe auxiliary power connector (

75\text{ W}

capacity).

Step-by-Step Solution

Determine the maximum power supplied by the motherboard bus

The PCIe x16 slot supplies up to

75\text{ W}

directly through the slot connectors.

PCIe standard specifications cap motherboard slot power delivery at

75\text{ W}

Calculate the supplemental wattage requirement

150\text{ W} - 75\text{ W} = 75\text{ W}

needed from auxiliary power.

Subtracting slot power capability from total TDP yields the additional power required.

Select the appropriate PSU connector for

75\text{ W}

auxiliary power

A 6-pin PCIe power connector supplies up to

75\text{ W}

of +12V power.

A 6-pin PCIe power cable is rated for

75\text{ W}

, making it the exact requirement for a

150\text{ W}

card.

Key Concept

PCIe Auxiliary Power Connector Ratings and Slot Power Limits

Question

Answer

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Key Concept

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