20 -> 24 pin adapters: are they ok to use?

[luciusad2004]

Hey guys. I just purchased a new motherboard only to find that my old 20 pin power supply won't hook up to the 24 pin connector. Just as i was about to order a new power Supply i remembered that my current one came with a 20 pin to 24 pin adapter. Are these things safe to use or will it kill my board? I'll need a new power supply eventually anyway, but i don't really have the money right now.


And for what its worth, I'm totally lost when it comes to shopping for power supplies. The selection over the last few years seems to have grown much more complex than when i was in highschool. ATX, ATX 12v, ATX12v /EPS 12v? Its to much lol. I guess i got some learnin to do.

[XcOM]

if your PSU came with a 20-24pin converter then yes it will be ok to use,

[luciusad2004]

if your PSU came with a 20-24pin converter then yes it will be ok to use,

Thanks man. I assume it still wouldn't be a bad idea to upgrade my PSU when i get the money? Maybe in a month or so.

[XcOM]

never abad idea, the 20-24 adapters were a stop gap for people that had old mobo's thatg were 20pin and wouldn't accept a 24pin plug

[DaveW]

There will be a sticker on the motherboard or a warning in your instruction book concerning this. Some motherboards can do fine with an adapter, and some want all 24 pins direct from the PSU. If there's no warning, then you will be good to go; these adapters are pretty standard equipment.

-Dave

[Drum Thumper]

I'd plan on the PSU being the next piece to get upgraded. Motherboards and video cards are demanding more and more wattage these days.

Plan on 500 watts minimum. And don't get a no name PSU--I made that mistake once and once was enough--lots of random BSODs.

[Eclecticos]

I would recommend purchasing a 24pin Power supply instead of using the adapter.
It could cause problems in the long run, such as no signal to monitor, and overheated mosfets.
Adapters are also know for causing shorts, and other undesirable issues.

You can purchase a 24pin PSU for as low as $14.99 at Newegg.Com (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010320058%204093&bop=And&Order=PRICE)

[blueonblack]

I was under the (apparently mistaken) impression that these adapters were not only useless, but actually bad for your system. All the other four pins are for is extra 12v, 5v and 3v power, along with another ground pin. If you use an adapter, all you're doing is splitting the voltage from the PSU 20-pin connector into an extra connector in the extra 4 points on the motherboard. The output of the PSU isn't changed, and now you're drawing power from an extra source, but still drawing it from the single output of the PSU. They have to branch off the extra wires somewhere, so that wire that used to feed one pin is now feeding two. There is also the inherent voltage drop you get from any sort of connector to consider, small as it may be.

I know I ran a 24-pin board with a 20-pin PSU for over a year without any problems, but I didn't have a high-end VGA card either.

I'm confused also, as I thought all 20-pin connectors would work in a 24-pin receptacle. The pinout patterns are the same, they just sit four pins off center.

[nevermind1534]

I'm confused also, as I thought all 20-pin connectors would work in a 24-pin receptacle. The pinout patterns are the same, they just sit four pins off center.

They do, but a lot of the newer boards won't work, unless they have all 24 pins plugged in.

[luciusad2004]

It seems like there is a split of opinions in this thread. Maybe ill just purchase a power supply. Another member that i talk o found a 500W thermaltake for around fiftyish.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052

Any opinions?

[SgtM]

I just bought this one from newegg, and would recommend it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152028

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/new%20pc%202009/DSC05473.jpg

[luciusad2004]

I like that, I've actually been wanting a modular power supply but haven't needed one enough to actually purchase one. Does it have the 4 pin connector for the 12v or is it one of the newer ones w/ the 8pin connectors? I need the 4 pin kind.

[XcOM]

its 6 of one and half a dozen of another, i would never say to use a 24pin adpater for a long period of time, only a stop gap, and as long as your not trying to draw large ammounts of power your cool,

and yes the 24pin block will fit into a 20pin plug but if the board designer has placed something next to the plug you won't beable to hang the four spare pins over if it being blocked by say a capastior or something?

[nevermind1534]

and yes the 24pin block will fit into a 20pin plug but if the board designer has placed something next to the plug you won't beable to hang the four spare pins over if it being blocked by say a capastior or something?

I tried this. It doesn't work. I ended up cutting the other two pins off of the plug on the PSU. But most have breakaway 20+4plugs, except for the very cheapest.


I like that, I've actually been wanting a modular power supply but haven't needed one enough to actually purchase one. Does it have the 4 pin connector for the 12v or is it one of the newer ones w/ the 8pin connectors? I need the 4 pin kind.

I have one with an 8 pin plug for the motherboard, but it is actually 4+4, so I just use one of the two 4 pin plugs.

[luciusad2004]

Thanks for the help guys, I think ill order a new power supply. I have to run up to my moms to get my computer parts anyway so i will probably grab the adapter and maybe use it in the mean time. Thanks for the help.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

I would recommend purchasing a 24pin Power supply instead of using the adapter.
It could cause problems in the long run, such as no signal to monitor, and overheated mosfets.
Adapters are also know for causing shorts, and other undesirable issues.

You can purchase a 24pin PSU for as low as $14.99 at Newegg.Com (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010320058%204093&bop=And&Order=PRICE)

...but on the flip side of that token, a 20-pin power supply from a few years ago, if it's from a reputable manufacturer, is likely to do less damage to your hardware than a $15 externally-24-pin cheapo with a design from 1999 and inadequate filtering and protection.

EDIT: I've never seen a Raidmax I would trust, and without being able to find a reputable review, or at least some information on the OEM of that one, it's no exception.

Who knows, though? Some of them are okay (http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3297.html), some are crap.

[luciusad2004]

Ok, I have the adapter and my computer runs fine, nothing is on fire yet.

How much would you guys recommend spending on a power supply? I'm planning on upgrading to a Either a core2 or core2 quad when i get the money and I want to eventually get a modern video card that can run some of the latest games and I might add another 2GBs of ram if that matters (DDR2 is sooo cheap!). I'm not going to overclock, and at the moment i run a single hard drive and a single DVD drive. I don't see that changing unless i buy a second hard drive for backups. I would prefer pre-sleeved cables and modular would be NICE but i can live without it.

Thanks for any advice.

[DonT-FeaR]

i would say dont go thermaltake.... but thats just me...

[luciusad2004]

i would say dont go thermaltake.... but thats just me...

any particular brand you recommend?

[progbuddy]

Depends on what you are running. If you have high stress levels across the chipset, CPU, and video card, then yes, you need the power from the 24-pin. If not, then the old 20-pin plug will slide right in. The other four pins are redundant power and ground.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Well, what's your price range and store of choice? That's easier than making blanket statements about different brands. Saying "some Thermaltake are good, some older ones are crap" doesn't necessarily help.

[luciusad2004]

Store of choice = Newegg.
I guess i was gonna count on spending 75 - 100 unless someone on here convinced me otherwise. Though i must say, i just got notice that i have to start paying on my student loans so I'm not sure what kinda money I'm gonna have now. So it might be a month or so until i get the money saved.