Can i use only 4 pins to power an 8 pin motherboard?

Question

My current PC (FX8350, GTX 1070, 16GB ddr3 1866mhz) is using an OCZ ModxStream PRO 600W PSU, im about to upgrade to Ryzen, and i notice that most, if not all MOBOs (for Ryzen CPUs) have 8pin power connectors instead of 4, since my current CPU's TDP is 125W, can i use only 4 pins if my new CPU is <= 125W ?

I never had problems with this PSU and im not sure that i absolutely need to buy a new one just because it doesnt have an 8 pin power connector. Im not sure if its a supid question, im honestly asking.

Solution

(I can't give a categorical answer, so this answer is just general knowledge. You will need to research the specific motherboard and its power connector.)

If your power supply only has a 4-pin connector, it's still quite likely that you can use it in an 8 pin port. If compatible then it will go in on "one side" of the 8-pin connector. This will likely give enough power, but beware over-clocking.

Theoretically, 4-pin should have more than enough power to drive your CPU, but there are too many inconsistent results. Some reports I have seen have done it with no problem, others would shut down under heavy load and still some others would refuse to power on. One needs to try to be sure.

Comments

[DrMoishe Pippik]

You might get an answer at hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com, Hardware Recommendations.