20-pin to 24-pin adapter??

gb1217

Member
Apr 15, 2005
35
0
0
i got a MSI "K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI" NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU mobo. It has a 24-pin ATX power connector. I got a case which has only a 20 pin power cord. Would connecting the 20 pin to the 24 pin make any difference and/or will it make the system unstable??... are there any adapter to convert this 20pin to 24 pin....help ASAP!
 

ssvegeta1010

Platinum Member
Nov 13, 2004
2,192
0
0
I think that they make adaptors.

But make sure you DONT try to plug the 20-pin into the 24-pin connector. Im pretty sure that booting like this would fry the mobo/PSU pretty quickly.
 

Ino

Junior Member
Jan 25, 2005
20
0
0
Fry??
Hum, anyway im using Asus P5AD2-Prem, it says u can use the 20 pin but u need psu that supplies min of 350W.
Im not sure for ur mobo though ^^
 

Avalon

Diamond Member
Jul 16, 2001
7,571
178
106
Using a 20pin in a 24pin mobo is supposed to be fine as long as you have a decent power supply. The extra 4 pins are dedicated to PCI-e graphics power, from what I've gathered.
 

imported_rod

Golden Member
Apr 13, 2005
1,788
0
0
I have an AUSUS A8N-SLI deluxs, which also takes a 24 pin Power supply connection. But it runs absolutely fine with my 20pin antec power supply connected. As long as your Power Supply can supply enough amps on the +12V rail, you should have no problems.

Also, the wattage of the PSU doesn't really matter, it's the amps on the +12V rail that make the difference.

My case came with a generic "450W power supply". This supplied only 9A @ 12V, when my setup required closer to 20A.
I bought a "480W Antec True Power" and it supplies 28A @ 12V. More than enough for me.
Moral of the Story: Dont be sucked in. There are so many ways to measure "wattage" that it's not a very reliable indicator of the PSU capabilities. If unsure, buy from a reputable brand. Personally i prefer Antec, but there are plenty of others.
 

The Pentium Guy

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2005
4,327
1
0
If you go to general hardware - they have an official thread on this.
They don't recommend you use an adaptor at all - plugging in the 20 pin from the psu to the 24-pin on the motherboard should be fine -> at least from what I read.

In either case, to not take any risks I would definately go out and buy a 24-pin power supply (unless you're on a budget). There's some out there for like $60 ish.

-The Pentium Guy
 

MrControversial

Senior member
Jan 25, 2005
848
0
0
I use an adapter. However, my 12V rail has over 20A so I can pull that off. Make sure your +12V rail is over 20A because the adapter splits the voltage in one of the rails.