Where do I get a RDRAM compatible power supply?

markjs

Senior member
Sep 4, 2000
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I have a friend I built a machine for a LOOOONG time ago and it is RDRAM based. It has a weird connector on it I have no idea what it's called or where to get a replacement one but it is a situation where he has no money and neither do I but I really want to help the guy out as cheaply as possible. This is the connector:

01307148127491000001907740.jpg


Thanks in advance!
 

markjs

Senior member
Sep 4, 2000
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Well this is a 20 pin ATX board but it has that thing and it was connected to the motherboard. I assumed it was a necessary connector for the power hungry memory?
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
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got any info on the existing power supply? make & model? and the motherboard make & model too?
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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IIRC, that's a aux. power connector, ATX 12V v.1...long since replaced by the 2X2 and 2X4 connectors.


ATX-connectors.JPG


The current rating of the main Molex connector is 6A per pin. In early 2000's, some motherboards with 3.3V >18A and 5V >24A (mainly dual CPU AMD systems) used an auxiliary 6-pin power cable. It was removed from ATX12V spec v2.0 in 2003 because extra pins were added to the main connector.


I'll be very surprised if you find a current PSU with that connector. You MIGHT have some luck asking for help over at Jonnyguru.com...who knows...one of the PSU gods over there might have one collecting dust in a closet...
 

Wangstang

Member
Oct 30, 2005
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I ordered two of these today for a pair of legacy builds:
http://www.cwc-group.com/20atxpoextca.html

In theory, you could pull the old 6 plug connector from the old power supply, then plug the +5vdc and one of the +3.3vdc from the spare 4 pins on a more modern 24 pin main connector. Tap one other +3.3vdc line or send both to the extra 3.3 from the 24 pin and then tap you three common grounds into the various ground pins. Diagram is here
http://www.smpspowersupply.com/connectors-pinouts.html

I may end up doing this myself depending on how impressed I am with the earlier mentioned adapters.

Anyone know if it would be safe to use these tap-ins for the above mentioned rewire:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2104093
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103312

Thanks
Wes
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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I think there are a few "new old stock" ATX 1.3 PSU's available out there. It'll take some searching and confirming availability with the sellers...but they're around. A quick google search turned up several...but I don't know if they're actually available or not.
Again, check with the folks over at jonnyguru...
 

markjs

Senior member
Sep 4, 2000
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I think there are a few "new old stock" ATX 1.3 PSU's available out there. It'll take some searching and confirming availability with the sellers...but they're around. A quick google search turned up several...but I don't know if they're actually available or not.
Again, check with the folks over at jonnyguru...

Does ATX 1.3 have that particular connector? I find plenty that say they are 1.3 but show no evidence of having that connector. The motherboard is an Asus P4T.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
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Moved to PSU's as its a PSU related topic

Cases n Cooling Mod. Aigomorla
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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Rosewill certainly isn't the best out there...but it's far from being the worst.
 

markjs

Senior member
Sep 4, 2000
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Well I am sold on Newegg, they have been very good to me. Plus if he needs a new board it should work with a DDR board of a similar era.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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It looks like that one's an ATNG build...not the best, but hopefully, will get your friend through.
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
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As I'm sure others have pointed out, that's just the ATX +12V PSU that Intel introduced around the time of the i850 and other RDRAM boards. The PSU itself has nothing to do with being an "RDRAM PSU." I remember them being somewhat hard to find when I was building my first Williamette P4 system in 2001 on a D850GB motherboard. The AUX connector was rarely used in designs from other manufacturers. IIRC, my friend built a P4 on a Asus P4B board instead and it didn't need it. I was kicking myself for going all Intel back then.

Well I am sold on Newegg, they have been very good to me. Plus if he needs a new board it should work with a DDR board of a similar era.

I do not believe that any socket 423 boards supported DDR. The i820 PIII boards were all recalled and Intel just put out more SDRAM and RDRAM chipsets for the longest time.
 
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sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
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As I'm sure others have pointed out, that's just the ATX +12V PSU that Intel introduced around the time of the i850 and other RDRAM boards. The PSU itself has nothing to do with being an "RDRAM PSU." I remember them being somewhat hard to find when I was building my first Williamette P4 system in 2001 on a D850GB motherboard. The AUX connector was rarely used in designs from other manufacturers. IIRC, my friend built a P4 on a Asus P4B board instead and it didn't need it. I was kicking myself for going all Intel back then.



I do not believe that any socket 423 boards supported DDR. The i820 PIII boards were all recalled and Intel just put out more SDRAM and RDRAM chipsets for the longest time.


there were sckt 423 I850 boards. The Willamette (socket 423) was the first P4 (1.4,1.5 Ghz) to run on an I850 but only ran at 300FSB, for PC600. Then came northwood A socket 478, 400FSB, RD800, and finally northwood B 533FSB RD1066.
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
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857
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there were sckt 423 I850 boards. The Willamette (socket 423) was the first P4 (1.4,1.5 Ghz) to run on an I850 but only ran at 300FSB, for PC600. Then came northwood A socket 478, 400FSB, RD800, and finally northwood B 533FSB RD1066.

Uhh... of course. The i850 launched s423. My D850GB was an i850 s423 RDRAM board. I was saying that there were no s423 boards that supported DDR. The i850 chipset does not support DDR.
 

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
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Uhh... of course. The i850 launched s423. My D850GB was an i850 s423 RDRAM board. I was saying that there were no s423 boards that supported DDR. The i850 chipset does not support DDR.

my bad, I thought you wrote RDR.
 

Wangstang

Member
Oct 30, 2005
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Uhh... of course. The i850 launched s423. My D850GB was an i850 s423 RDRAM board. I was saying that there were no s423 boards that supported DDR. The i850 chipset does not support DDR.

For what it's worth I850E does support socket 478 with RDRAM and the very last I850E's from intel supported USB 2.0 and ethernet networking. Those last boards are still limited to 533mhz, which is the weakness that probably killed them off. Combine the cost of the 1066 RDRAM with the dropping prices of DDR at the time, it's no suprise that I865 was DDR based.

I don't think Intel released any further RDRAM boards that didn't use xenon processors...ie anything introduced after I850E with RDRAM was intended for server applications.

Wes
 

markjs

Senior member
Sep 4, 2000
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It is one of the heaviest power supplies I have ever seen. It works just fine, luckily the arcing was confined to the old "Powerman" PSU.
 

bruceb

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
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Personally I would of checked PCpowerandcooling for a new power supply. As to the old pc being RDRAM based, it might very well be an older Dell model. I have a Dimension 8200 and it too uses RDRAM
 

markjs

Senior member
Sep 4, 2000
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Personally I would of checked PCpowerandcooling for a new power supply. As to the old pc being RDRAM based, it might very well be an older Dell model. I have a Dimension 8200 and it too uses RDRAM

No Dell I ever saw uses an Asus standard ATX motherboard format. No, Dell always has to throw some proprietary twist in is so that if anything breaks you have to go through them or call the machine what it is, junk. No I avoid Dells at nearly any cost. A laptop maybe but a Dell Desktop is generally a POS soon as you open the box.