Check for a second EPS socket before choosing the four-piece or six-piece kit

One quick visual check settles the entire choice between the four-piece and six-piece AsiaHorse kits, and it takes less time than reading a spec sheet: look at how many processor power sockets sit along the top edge of the motherboard.

Quick Answer

Count the processor power sockets along the top edge of the board. That single check decides between the two kits: the six-piece set carries two of those leads, the four-piece carries one. Everything else follows from that number.

🔎 Where exactly to look

The socket in question sits along the top edge of the motherboard, close to the processor itself, rather than anywhere near the main 24-pin connector or the graphics card slots. A second socket, when present, usually sits directly beside the first, and it is sometimes a smaller four-pin socket rather than a matching full eight-pin one - so look carefully rather than assuming a smaller connector does not count. This is a five-minute job with the side panel off, or faster still if the board's manual or product page is handy, since power input specifications are standard information in either source.

It is worth doing this check with a torch in hand if the case interior is dim, since a smaller four-pin socket tucked beside a full eight-pin one can be genuinely easy to miss in low light or behind other components crowding that top corner of the board. Take a photo once you have found it too, so there is no need to repeat the search if the question comes up again during the actual cable-fitting session later.

📋 What the count actually determines

Find one processor socket, and the four-piece kit's single EPS extension dresses everything visible on that side of the board - the six-piece kit's second processor lead would have nowhere to plug in and simply sit unused. Find two sockets, and the calculation flips: only the six-piece kit can dress both runs, leaving the four-piece set with a visible gap no matter how well the rest of the build is finished. This one number is genuinely the whole decision - card socket count matters too, but the processor socket check is usually the faster, more decisive one to make first.

🔌 Does a second socket always need a cable

Whether a second processor socket actually needs filling is a separate question from whether it exists, and the board's own manual is the authority here rather than the cable kit. Some systems run correctly with only the primary socket seated; heavier processors and overclocked configurations generally want both filled for stable power delivery. Both kit sizes supply an identical 4+4 EPS lead regardless of size, flexible enough to serve either a full eight-pin socket or split down to fit a smaller four-pin one - so connector compatibility is never the limiting factor, only the sheer count of sockets your board presents.

⚖️ What else changes between the two kits

Beyond lead count, the six-piece kit steps up to 16AWG copper against the four-piece kit's 18AWG, and carries three card extensions rather than two. Both of those differences matter independently of the processor-socket question, so it is worth checking your graphics card's socket count too before finalising which kit to order - a board with a single processor socket paired with a three-socket card still has a case for the larger kit, just for a different reason entirely. For the wider range either kit sits within, cable solutions is worth browsing, and individually sleeved premium cables covers what a fully custom set built around your exact socket count would cost by comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly do I look for the second socket?

Along the top edge of the board, near the processor. A second socket usually sits beside the first, sometimes as a four-pin rather than an eight.

Does a second socket always need filling?

The board manual decides that. Some builds run correctly with one seated, while heavier processors and overclocking generally want both.

What if I only find one socket?

Then four leads cover everything visible, and the six-piece kit would leave you paying for a processor lead with nowhere to go.

Can I check without opening the machine?

The board manual or its product page lists the power inputs, which answers the question without taking a panel off.

Do the two kits use the same EPS connector?

Both supply a 4+4 lead, so either serves a full eight-pin socket or splits to fit a four-pin one. Only the quantity differs.

Is the check worth doing before ordering?

It is the one piece of information that changes the purchase, and it takes a minute either in the manual or with the side off.

What else changes between the two kits?

Conductor size and card lead count. Six-piece brings 16AWG and three card leads; four-piece brings 18AWG and two.