Noobish PSU connector question

C

Chowder Head

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
244
So I'm looking to get the Sytrin Nextherm PSU after hearing how awesome and cheap it is but I stumbled upon something. It only has 2 SATA Drive power connectors.

Now does that I can only power two SATA drives and that's that? If so, any way to add something there so I can run three? I found something but I don't know if that helps me or what. I'm kinda new to this computer junk so I'm clueless, lol. Link is here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812201002

Thanks for any help, it's appreciated.
 
That will work perfectly.

Good choice in PSU's.
 
Your HDD's don't have both SATA and Molex power connectors?

Personally, I HATE 15-pin SATA connectors. They're so fragile.
 
Most drives actually don't have both types.
jonnyGURU said:
Personally, I HATE 15-pin SATA connectors. They're so fragile.
Click to expand...
The on-drive part or the on-power-supply part?

That convertor will work fine, or you could get an enclosure like this with a molex on the outside and sata power on the inside.

 
unhappy_mage said:
Most drives actually don't have both types.

The on-drive part or the on-power-supply part?

That convertor will work fine, or you could get an enclosure like this with a molex on the outside and sata power on the inside.
Click to expand...

The cable that plugs into the hard drive. The part on the hard drive doesn't break. It's usually the cable that plugs into the hard drive that breaks.
 
That's funny; most people complain about the disk breaking rather than the cable with regard to the data interface. :p

I guess I'm glad I'm using enclosures for most of my sata disks. Hotplug interfaces are nice, and the enclosures use molexen.

 
That's about the only time I DO like the SATA interface is in hot-swap bays.
 
jonnyGURU said:
Your HDD's don't have both SATA and Molex power connectors?

Personally, I HATE 15-pin SATA connectors. They're so fragile.
Click to expand...
Was that directed at me? Well I just looked at my packaged Seagate Barracuda 300GB SATA drive and it does indeed hav those two connectors.

If I'm reading this right, the SATA connector plugs into the motherboard, NOT the power supply from the hard drive.....correct?

And the mobo I'm getting, the MSI Diamond Plus, has 6 connectors correct? Link to specs is here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130037R

If so, I'm not sure why the power supply would have SATA connectors if the mobo has them? Maybe if you wanted to run 7 SATA drives or something?

Again, any help is appreciated, thanks!
 
You need one connector each to the drive from power supply and motherboard.

 
Chowder Head said:
Was that directed at me? Well I just looked at my packaged Seagate Barracuda 300GB SATA drive and it does indeed hav those two connectors.

If I'm reading this right, the SATA connector plugs into the motherboard, NOT the power supply from the hard drive.....correct?
Click to expand...

Incorrect. The hard drive needs power AND needs to move data to/from the motherboard. Two connectors. But most SATA drives have THREE connectors: SATA power, Molex power and SATA data. Obviously you have to have the SATA data going to the motherboard, but you use EITHER power connector. Not both. Not neither. I prefer using the 4-pin Molex power connector and not the 15-pin SATA.
 
Just remember that if you plan to do hot swapping with a SATA drive (for RAID 5 for instance) that if you use the molex power it can blow the drive when you go to hot swap it.
 
jonnyGURU said:
Incorrect. The hard drive needs power AND needs to move data to/from the motherboard. Two connectors. But most SATA drives have THREE connectors: SATA power, Molex power and SATA data. Obviously you have to have the SATA data going to the motherboard, but you use EITHER power connector. Not both. Not neither. I prefer using the 4-pin Molex power connector and not the 15-pin SATA.
Click to expand...
Ahhh....I think I got it.

So basically, they have three connectors. One plus HAS to go from the hard drive to the mobo, and you can use one of other connectors to plug into a powre connector for the power supply correct?

And if I wanted to, I could use the 4-pin molex to power the SATA drive so it's running fine, WITHOUT using one of two SATA connectors the power supply has, correct?

Lastly, at what point would you use the SATA power part on a hard drive? When there are no more Molex connectors left on the power supply?

Don't know if anything I said if right. Hopefully some parts are, lol.

Thanks again guys.
 
No, you got it right.

And the advantage of the SATA power connector is that SATA connector placement on the back of a HDD is standard regardless of brand of HDD. So they all can fit in hot-swap bays and the connector fits on without any pressure, etc. so they can work in hot-swap bays by simply sliding them into place.

But even when you use hot-swap bays, typically the bay is powered with a 4-pin Molex; not a 15-pin SATA power connector.
 
Ok, thanks for the clearup.

I just have two more questions for right now (I'm sorry, lol) that will make me undestand the big picture.

First off, I would have to buy a SATA data connector everytime I got an SATA drive that was OEM, correct? Since OEM drrives comes with just the drive. The new 74GB Raptor is what I thinking about and I'm assuming I would have to buy connectors right?

Lastly, The Nextherm says it has 2 3.5" drive conectors and 6 5.25" drive connectors. Does that mean the power supply can only power to two 3.5 hardrives? (which 99% are, right?) Why does it have 6 5.25" drives when really the only thing that is used today are CD-ROMS and such? Wouldn't it be more practical to have more 3.5 connectors instead of 5.25 connectors?

Thank you guys, AGAIN. :)
 
Yes, you'll need to but SATA data cables if your mobo didn't supply any (most do BTW) and the 3.5" connectors are the small floppy drive connectors. 5.25" drives use molex connectors which is what IDE HDDs use and most SATA drives (in addition to the SATA power conns that were discussed earlier).

I think the Molex thing harks back to the days when HDDs were 5.25" as well as CD-ROM drives.
 
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