Silly question but does the power cord matter?

[TammiHearts]

Heya guys,

I have a question that might be considered really dumb lol.

Do you have to use the same power cord that came with the powersupply?

I have a Halo90 850 watt NZXT and I mixed up the power cord of the power supply and monitor.

Does it matter? Thanks!

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yes. They are rated as to the max amps they can safely carry.

 

[LurchFrinky]

Short answer: No.

This is not to say that all power cords are created equal, but I have never seen a power cord so bad that it couldn't handle the typical 15A (US) max current of an outlet. I have seen thick, thin, short, and long (and a few different colors), but I am pretty sure they have to pass some minimal QC check along the way.
You will get less resistance (and less heating/power loss) with cords that are thicker and shorter. But for typical uses, these differences are miniscule. And if your cord does get warm - get rid of it ASAP!

 

[VirtualLarry]

This is not to say that all power cords are created equal, but I have never seen a power cord so bad that it couldn't handle the typical 15A (US) max current of an outlet.

The cords that came with my Antec 650W PSUs, explicitly stated 10A on the label. The AC power cords I ordered from monoprice, rated at 15A, are thicker and heavier still.

Most cheap device power cords are probably only good for 5-8A, at most.

 

[LurchFrinky]

I stand corrected.
I had never looked that closely at them to notice the different amperage ratings. I just checked one of my average ones and it was rated at 10A (18/3).

So it is easiest to just use the one that came with your device, but you can use another if it has an equal or higher amperage rating.

 

[Red Squirrel]

In most cases no. Some are thicker and use 14 awg wire which is rated for 15 amps while most use I think 18 awg which is rated for less, but most computers, even servers will pull a few amps at very most.

In an enterprise blade application then it probably matters more as some blades might pull close or more than 15 amps.

I suppose for support purposes you want to use the one that came with the product as if it stops working the first thing the company is going to do is try to find something to blame it on so they don't have to honor the warranty so if you used another power cord they might say that caused it even if it makes no sense. Kind of like if your house gets a flood and your insurance company sees you did your own electrical, they'll give you a hard time even if it has nothing to do with it.

 

[Sheep221]

Unless he has computer with at least s2011/1kW PSU/and 4 SLI/xfire cards he doesn't need to worry. You however can read the current rating on both cables a connect the stronger one to the PC.

 

[futurefields]

What about using different power supply cables on different power supplies?

I switched out my Antec 450 watt for a Rosewill 650 watt but just kept using the Antec's mains cable since I was too lazy to open the bag to get the Rosewill one.

I figure they are all the same that come with (decent brand) power supplies?

 

[WilliamM2]

What about using different power supply cables on different power supplies?

I switched out my Antec 450 watt for a Rosewill 650 watt but just kept using the Antec's mains cable since I was too lazy to open the bag to get the Rosewill one.

I figure they are all the same that come with (decent brand) power supplies?

Look at the cord, the rating will be on it. Every cord I have from many different power supplies and monitors over the years (dozens) is the same ...18ga rated at 10A.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Even if they're rated for X amps, be careful. I've had some cheap ones that got really really really hot even just running a small-load appliance like a PC or printer.

If I had tried to run the cable at its rated load, it probably would have burned out or caught fire.