Power supply questions

SirBrass

Member
Jun 8, 2005
153
0
0
Ok, final step in assembling my dream system is to hook up the psu (should arrive tomorrow). Current psu (accidentally got a psu that is NOT 24 pin and I definitely needed to get a 24 pin psu) came with a power cord that apparently plugs into my SATA HDDs in sockets right next to the SATA data socket on each HDD. What is this? I already see the power socket on each HDD, so what is this other power cord? I can't imagine that I'd need TWO power cables running to each HDD.


So, what is going on? What is this SATA power cable for, and do I actually need to plug both it and the normal 4 pin pwr connector into each HDD?

Tried looking this up on the 'net, but with no luck.

Normally, I'm good with electronic hardware (I just finished my 3rd year of college in EE. hardware is what I'm GOOD with), but this whole thing confuses me, as there isn't any documentation on this (darn HDDs were OEM and came with no printed instructions, not even a diagram showing which jumper I should set for slave or master).
 

Mark R

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
8,513
16
81
In time, the plan is to get rid of the older connector. The new one has a number of improvements which will become more useful in due time.

The HDD has both so it is compatible with systems that have the new one and systems with the old one.