Get to know all computer power cables

If you are planning to close a computer system by yourself, you will most likely have problems with various cables, especially computer power cables; Because you have to install all kinds of computer power cables on the motherboard. If you have no idea what each of the computer's power cables are used for, the procedure of closing the system becomes a very tedious activity for you, and in the worst case scenario, it is possible to damage the components installed on the motherboard. In this article, we will help you get brief and useful information about each of the computer power cables.

Motherboard cable to convert 20 pin to 24 pin

Probably the first cable inside the system that caught your attention is the 20-pin to 24-pin conversion cable. In fact, this is the most important computer power cable. This cable is the main system connector that provides the required power to the components of your PC's motherboard. Although the computer power does not have only one cable to transfer power, the main source needed to power the motherboard is the 20-pin to 24-pin conversion cable. Other components of the motherboard need more electricity, which we will discuss about their cables later. The 20-pin to 24-pin motherboard conversion cable provides the power required for RAM, power supplies, and PCIe devices.

This connecting cable is usually installed around the edge of the motherboard. On older ATX motherboards, especially low-end models, you'll find that the main connector actually only has 20 pins instead of 24. That's why some computer power supplies come with a 20+4 connector (4 pins that can be separated) instead of 24 pins fully locked together. This practice of manufacturing and designing power supplies is so that older personal computers with older power supplies can use 20 pins instead of 24 pins. Of course, this procedure is only applicable when the user does not intend to upgrade his system for the next few years; Because it is natural for modern and high-end computer parts to need a more powerful computer power supply.

With all these interpretations, thanks to the ATX standard, computer power supplies are more or less compatible with old motherboards, and other computer power supply manufacturers are interested in They don't have much to continue the process of supporting very old motherboards.

4-pin to 8-pin power conversion cable

This cable connects the power of the computer to the processor or CPU of the computer. The processor is one of the few computer parts that needs a separate power supply to perform routine activities.

The location of the 4-pin to 8-pin power conversion cable is near the socket or the location of the CPU on the motherboard. You can easily place the cable in its correct place and there is no particular difficulty in installing this cable.

Based on the computer model you have purchased, finding the cable installation location may be different compared to other computer systems. For example, on low-end PCs, you'll find a 4-pin connector cable on the motherboard that should provide enough power to the internal components of the system's processor. In mid-range and even high-end processors, you should expect an 8-pin connector to provide enough power to almost all CPU cores.

Almost all the time, your computer power supply includes an 8-pin connector It is divided into two sections of 4+4 pins. This type of cable design allows this interface to be connected to both 4-pin and 8-pin positions. In any case, if you don't need a part of the cable, you can separate it and put it aside.

In some power supplies, you may need more than one cable model. Some motherboards may have a 4-pin connector as well as an 8-pin connector. In some products, we may see a 12-pin slot instead of the mentioned items. Although the latter is still not very common, some PCs require a very large power supply for the CPU, especially for users who are very interested in CPU overclocking. The 12-pin model is more suitable for such professional users. If you are interested in overclocking, you should take a look at the article "Step by Step Guide to Overclocking a computer CPU" where we discuss the process in detail.

Graphics power Conversion Cable 6-pin to 8-pin

Technically, all PCI Express power needs are already provided by the motherboard interface. . This part works fine if you install a Wi-Fi card inside the motherboard. However, some components (mostly graphics cards) require more power than other motherboard components. It is in this mode that the PCIe cables to They come to work. Since they are basically used for graphics cards, they are known as graphics card cables.

These cables have entered the market in two types, 6-pin and 8-pin, to connect a graphics card to the motherboard. Depending on the type of graphics card you buy, you will need one, two, three or even more slots on the motherboard to connect the cable. In any case, if the cables are not properly connected to the motherboard or if a small number of cables are used for this purpose, it is likely that your system will face many problems and crashes and will be openly unstable. Fortunately, most computer power supplies now that have a very high wattage have several cables of this type in their package.

Other computer power cables

Things that We have already mentioned them, they are the main power cables. However, there are cables that are actually added to the organization and may be used in the case depending on the user's needs. These cables can be considered secondary communication components of personal computers.

SATA cable

Today, SATA cables are still in use and you have probably heard the name of this cable many times. The SATA cable is primarily used to transfer the required amount of electricity to the hard drive or data storage space. There are two models of SATA cables. A type of SATA cable simply establishes a connection between the hard drive and your PC. Another model is called SATA power cable, which only supplies electricity to the components inside the case. Recently, SATA power cables have found other interesting uses. For example, computer cases in the current generation are usually launched with interesting RGB lighting. In another example, the cooling system and fan may be purchased and installed by the user to compensate for the excessive heat of the parts inside the case. In these cases, SATA power cable is used to power the said parts.

Molex cable

The molex cable is rarely used these days, but you may see this cable on older, low-end PCs. Molex connectors have a function similar to SATA power cables; That is, it provides electricity for secondary parts. Molex cables can be used for all components, from hard drives to fans.

Today, for obvious reasons, Molex cables are used less. The easy breaking of the head of this cable is considered the most important reason for discarding this cable by experts. For this reason, instead of Molex cable, SATA cable is mostly used to supply power to secondary parts.

Computer power cables; Diverse and constantly changing

So far, we have tried to make you more familiar with all kinds of computer power cables. It is obvious and mandatory to mention that with the all-round progress of hardware and computer science, more advanced parts are designed and developed. For this reason, computer power supplies are gradually becoming more modern and advanced in sync with other parts. It is possible that the number of pins and positions required to connect the cables on the motherboard will also change over time. For this reason, be careful to first identify the correct cable and then ensure the correct connection of the cable on the motherboard. In any case, computer power has an important task, and that is nothing but the transfer of the electricity needed to all the parts installed inside the computer case.

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