PSU power cord gauge? (14, 16, or 18)

[mshan]

I recently bought my dad a Dell Vostro 220 computer off eBay and seller forgot to include power cord.

I took one off another rig and used that there.

Now, I need to replace the substitute I used and see Monoprice offers 14, 16, and 18 Gauge power cords:

http://www.monoprice.com/produ...ord=power+cord&x=0&y=0

Is 16G the standard for computer psu? (specific psu is an FSP Blue Storm II 400W psu)

 

[jonnyGURU]

Actually, 18g is pretty common for that low of a wattage.

 

[bruceb]

14 ga wire at 120VAC is good for close to 15 AMPS
16 ga wire at 120VAC is good for close to 10 AMPS
18 ga wire at 120VAC is good for close to 5 AMPS

500 Watt supply takes about 4.2A

820 Watt supply takes about 7A

1000 W supply takes about 8.3A

So best choice here is the 16 GA power cord
18 ga is next to useless and the 14 is overkill.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: bruceb
14 ga wire at 120VAC is good for close to 15 AMPS
16 ga wire at 120VAC is good for close to 10 AMPS
18 ga wire at 120VAC is good for close to 5 AMPS

500 Watt supply takes about 4.2A

820 Watt supply takes about 7A

1000 W supply takes about 8.3A

So best choice here is the 16 GA power cord
18 ga is next to useless and the 14 is overkill.

Uh-oh. So you are telling me, that not all computer PSU power cords are the same? I've just been throwing them all in a pile.

I don't know which ones came with my Antec Earthwatts 650W PSU. Do you think that it would cause an issue if I used an 18GA cord with it?

 

[brblx]

has the cord ever gotten warm when gaming? the basic risk here is heat, i.e. the wire should not catch fire before the circuit protection the outlet trips.

if no, then probably not. if there was a significant voltage drop across the cord under load, you'd likely have some issues with your PC, and the cord would probably get a little warm as a result of its now being a load in the circuit.

the specs above are pretty generous, though, as length of the wire matters. shorter wire means less chance a voltage loss. a few feet of 18ga can probably handle more than 5a. assuming you'd ever even need that much (not likely with your rig).

 

[Modelworks]

Almost all my pc power cords are rated 15A .

 

[zod96]

Wow I know this is an old thread. But I have a question. My new Seasonic 750 came with a 16 gauge cord that is very short. I have like 3 18 gauge cords that are the right length. Can I just use the 18 gauge cord or is it best and wise to use the 16 gauge? My specs are in my sig...

 

[0roo0roo]

hm, doh, i do seem to remember one of my cords felt cheaper... i should check lol

 

[Concillian]

Just FYI, I just opened and installed a brand new 650W 80+ gold power supply that retails for over $100. It came with an 18 gauge cord. No need for more IMO.

 

[Rubycon]

If you want 20A cords you have to make your own!

😉

 

[Golgatha]

I recently bought my dad a Dell Vostro 220 computer off eBay and seller forgot to include power cord.

I took one off another rig and used that there.

Now, I need to replace the substitute I used and see Monoprice offers 14, 16, and 18 Gauge power cords:

http://www.monoprice.com/produ...ord=power+cord&x=0&y=0

Is 16G the standard for computer psu? (specific psu is an FSP Blue Storm II 400W psu)

I'd go for the 14ga cords. My 910w power supply has one and the cord is cool. Tried it with a 16ga cord at a LAN party and it got warm to the touch. Heat = more resistance to current flow and I want clean current for my system. Also, the price difference between ga ratings is very, very small, so why not get some overkill?

 

[zod96]

Yeah I could get a 14 Gauge from Monocable for like $10. So going lower would not mess anything up?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I ended up buying 10 6' 14GA power cords from monoprice. It was fairly cheap. They even have shiny UL-listed tags on them. Nice!

 

[Rifter]

I ended up buying 10 6' 14GA power cords from monoprice. It was fairly cheap. They even have shiny UL-listed tags on them. Nice!

I did this a few months ago, now my computers\printers\monitors are all on 14ga cables, they were cheap and i was ordering other cables anyways so i figured why not.