Question about 24+4 Pin PSU and 24pin MOBO's

[gello99]

Is it safe to use a 20+4 pin PSU on a 24 pin MOBO? I know they have adapters, but is it common to plug in the 20 pin, then the 4 pin where the 24 pin connector is? I do not have a 24 pin MOBO yet, but was wondering if I could use my aspire 520w 20+4 pin PSU safely on a PCI-e MOBO, probably socket AM2. Thanks in advance,

 

[Lord Evermore]

20+4-pin PSUs are designed that way specifically to allow compatibility with both 20-pin and 24-pin mainboards. The 4 extra pins simply carry extra voltage wires and a ground wire because 24-pin mainboards are supplying more power to hungrier components. A 20+4 PSU is functionally the same as a 24-pin PSU, it's just modular.

Just in case you might be confused though, the extra 4 pins on a 24-pin socket are NOT the same as the +12V connector introduced with the Pentium4. That connector has 2 12V wires and 2 ground wires (2 yellow, 2 black usually), and the connector has a clip. If your PSU has a 20-pin ATX connector and the +12V connector, it is not a 20+4-pin PSU. It sounds vaguely like this might be what you were thinking about.

SocketAM2 mainboards require both the 20+4 ATX connector (the extra 4 pins are usually modular so that you can use it on an older 20-pin board, but they are still strapped together with the rest of the ATX power wires) as well as the +12V connector.

If you're not sure, get the exact model number of your PSU and we can see what connectors it actually has.

 

[gello99]

Thanks for the feedback
When I bought it, it was called Aspire and my model # is ATX-AS520W-BK. The company is now known as apevia. However, I pull up this psupage with the same model #. It says I'm supposed to have 2 sata connectors, but I don't. I'm thinking they must have upgraded the PSU while keeping the same model #.

I see my main 20pin, and what i'm guessing to be a 12v. I don't see any other connector that could be that extra 4 pin. I'm going to guess that this needs to replaced to get an am2 rig.

 

[Lord Evermore]

I think this is your model.. They don't show any pics of the connectors but they don't mention SATA power and don't specify the type of ATX so it's probably 20 pin. Of course the SATA power connectors may have actually been adapters to the 4 pin molex, you may not have noticed them if you didn't need them. Newegg's pics of the unit aren't very clear.

That's very odd and mildly stupid to use the same model number without any reference to it being different from the old model.

Yes if you don't have the 20+4 connector, you will need to upgrade. You can get decent quality for as little as 45 dollars shipped (slightly short cables, and very few connectors, but power output is decent and FSP is good quality, just not pretty).

If you had a 20+4 pin PSU, you'd have the 4 pin +12V connector which has a clip on it, as well as another 4 pin connector without a clip, but with little rails on the side where it's supposed to slip onto the main ATX connector.

 

[dandragonrage]

I recommend you return that Aspire and get a Fortron.

 

[gello99]

Thanks so much Lord Everymore, you definitely found the psu that i had, and helped me clear up the difference. Now I'm definitely getting a psu upgrade. Actually I sold all my old stuff minus the PSU, so I'll be getting a new rig near X-Mas. Maybe I'll use the old psu to build a cheap secondary rig. Hopefully Conroe MOBO's are plentiful and cheaper by november, otherwise its x2 am2 for me.

Thanks for the recommendation dandragonrage.

 

[dandragonrage]

ConroeXFire at about $80 isn't cheap enough? Unless you want to do some extreme OCing.

 

[gello99]

I have my watercooling setup from my socket 754/939..and I can change the socket adaptor on my polarflo waterblock for $9.99. So yes, I can't stop continuing the oc'ing urge. I just like the satisfaction of getting the processor to run a couple of price tiers up. Plus, I have no a/c in the summertime (90 F ambient) and even at stock speeds, watercooling is a must so my stuff doesn't burn out.