20-Pin power worth a shot without new PSU?

T

the_d_mann1

Geek Trainee
Alright, I'm building a friend a computer...

I have an XG Sidewinder case with a 400W PSU. My Mobo is an EPOX EP-9NPAJ with an A64 3000+, so I have a 20-pin PSU and 24-pin mobo. Now I've read a bunch about it but I'm still stuck... I checked the manual too, and it doesn't say either way... it just says that the 24-pin and the 4-pin have to be used simultaneously. I'm using an IDE hard drive, integrated sound... and my PCIX X800 Radeon has a 4 pin power connector at the top. Do i NEED to use that? Especially if I try to use a 20-pin on a 24 pin mobo? Worst part is, the vidcard or PSU didn't come with an adapter to power that 4 pin connector. Will the extra +12V 4-pin Power connector be enough to power everything? If i need a new PSU it's cutting into my profits!!! thanks for the help... and if this is the wrong forum, lemme know

-D
 
I'm not sure if the PSU will perform as needed but you would only need around 300-350W for that, I think it'd be all right, but wait for other comments before you act

you can get a 20 to 24 pin adapter for the mobo for a few dollars (im guessing five) from a site like newegg, as for the video card, you could get (and should have received in its box) a cable that turns the 4 pin power connector into two 3 pin molex

and this isn't the wrong forum man, this is always the right forum, from burning up your cpu to having a fly stuck in your display haha this is the place to come.
 
well, it's kind of weird. It definitely doesn't have a 6 pin power connector like the X800 XT for example. It has a connector, which I'm assuming is additional power, up in the top right corner

Link for pictures

It's even smaller than a 3.5 inch connector from the PSU... I really have no idea whether it's required to be plugged into something. Could I still power the sucker even though I'm not using the full 24 pin +12V?
 
Ok, this is not that complicated. It is like all other mobos. All you need is a 20-24 pin power connector. The 4 pin still goes in the corner and the main connector has the adapter and goes in the same place. The motherboard will not operate with the 20 pin directly in the 24 pin. DON'T TRY IT!!! If your motherboard doesn't have a fail-safe your motherboard will fry in seconds. Just buy the $3 adapter and plug it in.
 
I know how to plug the 20 into the 24. My question was whether the vidcard would get enough juice. Those last four pins on the main power connector are power to the PCI express slot. And if I don't get additional power to the card using that extra connector it has, I don't think it will be stable. Am I right here?
 
I've been searching around, can't find em... where can I get one of those adapters to the 4-pin plug on my x800? Thanks
 
You can use your 20 pinner PSU with your 24 pinner Mobo, im doing the same thing... ive got an Asus P5WD2(24 Pins) and im using 380W Tagan PSU (20 Pins). 3x HDDs, 2 optical drives and 6600GT graphix... its well juiced. :good:

But keep in mind though that not all PSUs works the same. What exactly is the brand of the PSU?
 
I have an XG Sidewinder Case by MGE. The power supply is also MGE, the stock that came with it, at 400W. It has 17A on the +12V rail, but its not a name brand so I don't know if I trust it. As far as wattage, I found that the A64 + x800 will be in the 180W-ish range on the +12V, and the 17A would make around 200. Being a no-namer PSU, can I trust it to put out enough?

My biggest concern is that the vidcard won't get enough power, because the extra 4 pins of the mainboard power connector that I won't use (if i plug a 20 into a 24) go exclusively to the PCI Express slot (or so I've read). Therefore I feel like I'd HAVE to find an adapter to power the x800 on that white 4pin connector like in that link I have above. Otherwise it'd be unstable i think... and I still can't find one of those adapters anywhere. Please help me out if you can answer any of this stuff for me. :good:
 
You cannot run a 20 pin power connector into the 24 socket without an adapter. I tried and it doesn't work. Get the adapter from newegg. They have like 3 of them. And the PSU is not a no name. MGE does 2 things, cases and PSU's. They make very good PSU's and the one's in their cases are good. And you must have really gotten ripped off if your X800 didn't come with a power adapter.
 
from newegg, eh? Well they're the ones that "ripped" me off! Go to this link-

Newegg X800

...and take a gander at the pics of what's included. Nothing. It even says retail on the webpage. Should I call and see what the deal is? Or should I infer that it's not necessary since it's not included?
 
Well then that would mean its not needed. I looked at the picture of the card, and there is not 4 pin power connector on the card. That socket isn't for power. I'm not sure what it's for, but I know its not for power.
 
It is a 4 pin male, my card has the exact same thing. I don't have anything plugged into it, so you should be fine. I think it's for plugging a DVD drive directly into the video card, like you can do with a sound card and CD drive.
 
ahhh, ok, thanks that's very good news. By the way, max12590, I've been reading on Anandtech...

Link

and some of them are saying that it's safer to NOT use an adapter than it is to get one. However, my mobo doesnt say anything about using a 20pin setup (some mobos tell you how to do it), so I think I probably should get one, right?

Lastly, if I try my 400W and it's not enough power, will that damage anything, or will it just not boot? If it does work but the PSU has to work too hard, could I run into problems down the road?
 
It will be enough power. And with the adapter, my motherboard absolutely will not boot without one, and a red LED lights up, so I had to get one. Runs like a charm now. You can try without but the adapter is only like 3 bucks, so it's not really a big deal.
 
Awesome, sweet deal. I'll try it out. Are you 110% sure that if it's not enough current that nothing will be damaged? Is it as simple as just saying "oh well" and getting a new PS?

BTW, how do I give you guys rep pts? I appreciate it all.
 
Yea if it isn't nothing will be damaged, it just won't start. But I feel sure that it will be plenty. I'm pretty sure I have the exact same PSU and mine is pushing an AMD 64 3500+, an X800 Pro, 2 hard drives, 2 optical drives, 4 fans, 2 of which are case fans, a cathode light, and some LEDs. Rep points? Do you mean Thanks points? If so it is the little button at the lower right hand corner of the post beside reply/quote.
 
is yours PCI Express too? I hear those video cards eat more wattage than AGP counterparts. Well, I finally heard back from EPoX, and they said the 20 pin would be fine, as long as my PSU is 450 Watts. AAAAHH! Of COURSE mine is only 400. I wrote back asking if it makes any difference that the +12V is 17A, so we'll see. Hopefully the company I bought the case from will let me send the 400 back and pay the difference for a 500.
 
pci express does eat more power than AGP 8x, but only minimal for now, in 2 years I'm guessing GPUs will eat around 200-250W big number, but i'm guessing it will be like that

we'll have stock 800W PSUs BTX 3.0 compliant by then, 32 pins or was it higher? :P
 
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