Power Supply Question

[Ynog]

I don't know alot about power supplies so bare with me if this is a really stupid question.

I have a 430 Watt Antec Power supply.

However I have 3HD and 2 Optical with the possiblity of going up to 4 HD and 3 Optical
Now last time I looked and I could be wrong, I think I running low on the 4 pin power connectors for
Optical drives and HD.

My question is. I know they sell Y connectors that take one and give you two more
out of it. Something like this. Is that
bad. I mean does the fact that I am running out of 4 pin connectors mean I am
at the limit of what my power supply can provide?

Other system information if needed. (I can provide any other info if questions arise)
ATI 9700 Pro
P4 2.53 GHz.
Floppy.
2 Case Fans.

 

[myocardia]

Whether you're running out of power has nothing to do with how many of your psu's plugs are in use. What do your rails run with the cpu under full load?

 

[lavagirl669]

Not a dumb question at all

I use several Y connectors and I've got an Antec 550 True Power. I have had no issues
with that at all. I just try to use the PSU connectors directly to each device, and the Y
connectors to add on smaller stuff like Floppy, lighting, fans, etc.
The Antec's usually come with seperate connectors just for the fans....note...I don't use those
because I feel that the fans need to have full power....not the 1/2 power supplied by those special
fan connectors.

You have more than enough juice for what you are running or planning to run....IMO...

I just ordered a bunch of those Y cnx...for future builds.

 

[Pauli]

You can use quite a few of those "Y" connectors safely with your setup. The drives don't really need that much power. It's the CPU that requires the most and your 430W PS is definitely safe for your system, no question at all.

 

[Ynog]

Thanks alot. Good to hear.

Just curious in regards to myocardia's post. For future reference, How to I calculate what my rails run with the cpu under full load?

Thanks again

 

[myocardia]

All you have to do is install the monitoring software that came with your motherboard (on the driver cd), if you have an Abit, Asus, Epox, DFI motherboard, and run Prime95 Torture Test with the monitoring program running. If your motherboard didn't come with a software monitor (so you can check your cpu and chipset temp, as well as your voltages) with Windows running, then you'll need to download Motherboard Monitor 5.

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: myocardia
All you have to do is install the monitoring software that came with your motherboard (on the driver cd), if you have an Abit, Asus, Epox, DFI motherboard, and run Prime95 Torture Test with the monitoring program running. If your motherboard didn't come with a software monitor (so you can check your cpu and chipset temp, as well as your voltages) with Windows running, then you'll need to download Motherboard Monitor 5.

There's always the old fashioned multimeter which is the most accurate method.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: lavagirl669
The Antec's usually come with seperate connectors just for the fans....note...I don't use those
because I feel that the fans need to have full power....not the 1/2 power supplied by those special
fan connectors.

It's worth noting that on many PSUs (I'm not sure about the TruePower series), the "fan" power connectors are temperature-controlled. So they'll run slowly if it's cool, and crank up the speed if things start to heat up. Of course, if you want maximum cooling (and noise) all the time, just plug them into regular connectors.