Another PSU help thread!

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo

Originally posted by: Googer
Remember that the PSU business is not the most honest one, manufacturers tend to exaggerate specifications or operating temperatures to give them more marketing potential. Modular connections are still a break in the wire and a potential failure point or wear point.

Please reply to this:

Should we hardwire our cables into ours cards and hard drives as well? Or is, for some reason, that loss acceptable while an additional loss over a contact not acceptable at the power supply?

If you are obsessive compulsive then the answer is YES. Otherwise it' not too practical and the amount of load demanded by a HDD is very very low (around 12w or 1a).

12v
x1a
12w

Nice math. What about a video card which has significant current draw?

The power load is spread out across multiple pins (connections) so no one wire is bearing 100% of the load. Also those PCI-e connectors are usualy built to handle slightly higher amperage.

 

[Sdiver2489]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo

Originally posted by: Googer
Remember that the PSU business is not the most honest one, manufacturers tend to exaggerate specifications or operating temperatures to give them more marketing potential. Modular connections are still a break in the wire and a potential failure point or wear point.

Please reply to this:

Should we hardwire our cables into ours cards and hard drives as well? Or is, for some reason, that loss acceptable while an additional loss over a contact not acceptable at the power supply?

If you are obsessive compulsive then the answer is YES. Otherwise it' not too practical and the amount of load demanded by a HDD is very very low (around 12w or 1a).

12v
x1a
12w

Nice math. What about a video card which has significant current draw?

The power load is spread out across multiple pins (connections) so no one wire is bearing the brunt of it. Also those PCI-e connectors are usualy built to handle slightly higher amperage.

The modular connectors of a power supply are more than capable of handling the current draw. If they were not, they would get very warm and possibly melt/fail.

Again, I would LOVE to see proof that manufacturers are using contacts that are underrated for their current draw.

 

[Googer]

I am trying to find the information on Molex.com but it's so big that it may take a while.

 

[Sdiver2489]

Originally posted by: Googer
I am trying to find the information on Molex.com but it's so big that it may take a while.

I will save you some time. The wiring on the connectors of your typical power supply are 16 AWG. These are rating at 22A max current capability.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

There are 2 12V connections on a PCI-E connector. This allows a max safe current draw of 44A from a 1 connector graphics card without exceeding the current capability of the wire or the connector.

Here is the datasheet you are searching for:

http://www.molex.com/product/power/42002.pdf

As you can see, they rate the connector at 13.5A per "circuit" which is still 27A for a 1 connector PCI-E card with 2 12V connections. Which is still more than enough.

Cards with 2 PCI-E connectors could handle 54A through these connectors.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer
I am trying to find the information on Molex.com but it's so big that it may take a while.

I will save you some time. The wiring on the connectors of your typical power supply are 16 AWG. These are rating at 22A max current capability.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

There are 2 12V connections on a PCI-E connector. This allows a max safe current draw of 44A from a 1 connector graphics card without exceeding the current capability of the wire or the connector.

Here is the datasheet you are searching for:

http://www.molex.com/product/power/42002.pdf

As you can see, they rate the connector at 13.5A per "circuit" which is still 27A for a 1 connector PCI-E card with 2 12V connections. Which is still more than enough.

Cards with 2 PCI-E connectors could handle 54A through these connectors.

That's for the plastic plug. The metal pins have their own separate part number. I have found similar ones but not the exact one and it's rated for 6a.

 

[Sdiver2489]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer
I am trying to find the information on Molex.com but it's so big that it may take a while.

I will save you some time. The wiring on the connectors of your typical power supply are 16 AWG. These are rating at 22A max current capability.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

There are 2 12V connections on a PCI-E connector. This allows a max safe current draw of 44A from a 1 connector graphics card without exceeding the current capability of the wire or the connector.

Here is the datasheet you are searching for:

http://www.molex.com/product/power/42002.pdf

As you can see, they rate the connector at 13.5A per "circuit" which is still 27A for a 1 connector PCI-E card with 2 12V connections. Which is still more than enough.

Cards with 2 PCI-E connectors could handle 54A through these connectors.

That's for the plastic plug. The metal pins have their own separate part number. I have found similar ones but not the exact one and it's rated for 6a.

LOL, you think a plastic contact has "Electrical Characteristics"???

Voltage: 600V*
Current: 13.5A*
Contact Resistance: 3.5mOhm

And to answer your previous voltage drop point...there you have it...the contact has a max resistance of 3.5mOhm * 13.5A = .04725V Max Voltage drop

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer
I am trying to find the information on Molex.com but it's so big that it may take a while.

I will save you some time. The wiring on the connectors of your typical power supply are 16 AWG. These are rating at 22A max current capability.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

There are 2 12V connections on a PCI-E connector. This allows a max safe current draw of 44A from a 1 connector graphics card without exceeding the current capability of the wire or the connector.

Here is the datasheet you are searching for:

http://www.molex.com/product/power/42002.pdf

As you can see, they rate the connector at 13.5A per "circuit" which is still 27A for a 1 connector PCI-E card with 2 12V connections. Which is still more than enough.

Cards with 2 PCI-E connectors could handle 54A through these connectors.

That's for the plastic plug. The metal pins have their own separate part number. I have found similar ones but not the exact one and it's rated for 6a.

LOL, you think a plastic contact has "Electrical Characteristics"???

Voltage: 600V*
Current: 13.5A*
Contact Resistance: 3.5mOhm

No, go back and re-read what I posted. Also those are not standard four pin connectors, hence the higher rating.

 

[Sdiver2489]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Sdiver2489

Originally posted by: Googer
I am trying to find the information on Molex.com but it's so big that it may take a while.

I will save you some time. The wiring on the connectors of your typical power supply are 16 AWG. These are rating at 22A max current capability.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

There are 2 12V connections on a PCI-E connector. This allows a max safe current draw of 44A from a 1 connector graphics card without exceeding the current capability of the wire or the connector.

Here is the datasheet you are searching for:

http://www.molex.com/product/power/42002.pdf

As you can see, they rate the connector at 13.5A per "circuit" which is still 27A for a 1 connector PCI-E card with 2 12V connections. Which is still more than enough.

Cards with 2 PCI-E connectors could handle 54A through these connectors.

That's for the plastic plug. The metal pins have their own separate part number. I have found similar ones but not the exact one and it's rated for 6a.

LOL, you think a plastic contact has "Electrical Characteristics"???

Voltage: 600V*
Current: 13.5A*
Contact Resistance: 3.5mOhm

No, go back and re-read what I posted. Also those are not standard four pin connectors, hence the higher rating.

I did read what you posted and you are wrong. Look on the bottom of the datasheet, they list multiple pin configurations. The electrical characteristics are specified on a per pin basis which is stated in the * on the bottom of the page.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Damnit this thread was supposed to end with sdiver's first reply, wth?

 

[RallyMaster]

To the OP, get the Antec EarthWatts 500W from CompUSA for $40 AR. Seasonic-built so no Fuhjyyu caps.

To Googer, WTF? I've set up three modular PSUs and none of them have problems with the connections. Most PSU problems deal with the unit itself (failing caps, overheating, etc.) and not with wires deteriorating. Everything deteriorates over time, even your SO. So stop spreading your fud, because I would guess that most ATers push their computers in the first three years and then move onto newer computers.

 

[kapoww]

lol holy crap... I'll take it that there is no significant difference between the two. At least not enough for me to care about in a decision to buy PSUs.

Sorry for the hijack OP..

 

[mechBgon]

The people saying modular PSUs are arbitrarily bad due to an extra connector in the line, should go open up about 20 major-brand servers and see what's in there. You can go school Dell, HP, Sun, IBM and the rest on how terrible their hot-plug PSUs, backplanes and wiring splitters are for reliability.

I mean, I see the point, but unless the execution is really bad...?

 

[jcgamo88]

I always knew modular cabling just provided 1 more point at which the psu could fail.. But all my research had shown that as long as the contacts were the same metal there was no need to really worry very much, or really anymore than I would with a normal psu.

I'll defiantly take a look at the earthwatts from compUSA though, thanks!

Perhaps someone could list a few good makers, and then some of the marketers that rebrand them?