What Cable Do I Need To Connect My New Hard Drive To My Motherboard & Power Supply Unit?












0















My new drive is a Seagate 2TB BarraCuda SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (ST2000DM006).



My motherboard is an MSI B85M-G43 (MS-7823).



I'm assuming my power supply unit uses whatever the standard port is. I couldn't find a way to determine what it is exactly.



I'm replacing my SSD with an HDD and I want to hook it up to format and migrate the OS with AOMEI Partition Assistant, which is why I can't use the cable that my SSD is using right now.



I didn't put this computer together and am only replacing a failing internal SSD.



So I know I need a SATA 6 Gb/s for the motherboard but I'm confused when looking at different cables. I've mostly seen the SATA cable separate from the power cable.



So far I've looked on Walmart.com, Amazon and Newegg.com.



Any help in figuring out what cable I need would be appreciated.










share|improve this question



























    0















    My new drive is a Seagate 2TB BarraCuda SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (ST2000DM006).



    My motherboard is an MSI B85M-G43 (MS-7823).



    I'm assuming my power supply unit uses whatever the standard port is. I couldn't find a way to determine what it is exactly.



    I'm replacing my SSD with an HDD and I want to hook it up to format and migrate the OS with AOMEI Partition Assistant, which is why I can't use the cable that my SSD is using right now.



    I didn't put this computer together and am only replacing a failing internal SSD.



    So I know I need a SATA 6 Gb/s for the motherboard but I'm confused when looking at different cables. I've mostly seen the SATA cable separate from the power cable.



    So far I've looked on Walmart.com, Amazon and Newegg.com.



    Any help in figuring out what cable I need would be appreciated.










    share|improve this question

























      0












      0








      0








      My new drive is a Seagate 2TB BarraCuda SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (ST2000DM006).



      My motherboard is an MSI B85M-G43 (MS-7823).



      I'm assuming my power supply unit uses whatever the standard port is. I couldn't find a way to determine what it is exactly.



      I'm replacing my SSD with an HDD and I want to hook it up to format and migrate the OS with AOMEI Partition Assistant, which is why I can't use the cable that my SSD is using right now.



      I didn't put this computer together and am only replacing a failing internal SSD.



      So I know I need a SATA 6 Gb/s for the motherboard but I'm confused when looking at different cables. I've mostly seen the SATA cable separate from the power cable.



      So far I've looked on Walmart.com, Amazon and Newegg.com.



      Any help in figuring out what cable I need would be appreciated.










      share|improve this question














      My new drive is a Seagate 2TB BarraCuda SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (ST2000DM006).



      My motherboard is an MSI B85M-G43 (MS-7823).



      I'm assuming my power supply unit uses whatever the standard port is. I couldn't find a way to determine what it is exactly.



      I'm replacing my SSD with an HDD and I want to hook it up to format and migrate the OS with AOMEI Partition Assistant, which is why I can't use the cable that my SSD is using right now.



      I didn't put this computer together and am only replacing a failing internal SSD.



      So I know I need a SATA 6 Gb/s for the motherboard but I'm confused when looking at different cables. I've mostly seen the SATA cable separate from the power cable.



      So far I've looked on Walmart.com, Amazon and Newegg.com.



      Any help in figuring out what cable I need would be appreciated.







      hard-drive motherboard power-supply sata






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked Aug 22 '18 at 19:38









      BrainstormSurgeBrainstormSurge

      145




      145






















          5 Answers
          5






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          3














          Page 21 of the "Product Manual - Seagate":



          Applicable to:




          • Standard models: ST3000DM008, ST2000DM006, ST1000DM010 and ST500DM009


          • Self-Encryption models: ST3000DM009 and ST2000DM007




          "3.3 SATA cables and connectors



          The SATA interface cable consists of four conductors in two differential pairs, plus three ground connections. The cable size
          may be 30 to 26 AWG with a maximum length of one meter (39.37 inches). See Table 7 for connector pin definitions. Either
          end of the SATA signal cable can be attached to the drive or host.
          For direct backplane connection, the drive connectors are inserted directly into the host receptacle. The drive and the host
          receptacle incorporate features that enable the direct connection to be hot pluggable and blind mateable.



          For installations which require cables, users can connect the drive as illustrated in Figure 1.



          Drive Cables



          Each cable is keyed to ensure correct orientation. BarraCuda drives support latching SATA connectors.







          share|improve this answer































            2














            For 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drives the power cable and the SATA cable are separate cables. Every recent power supply should come with a few SATA power plugs. If you don't have enough free plugs, or if your power supply is really old, there are adapters. For data you just need a normal SATA cable.






            share|improve this answer































              2














              You've noted that the HD is SATA, so you will need a SATA cable between the motherboard and the drive, and a SATA power cable from the power supply to the drive.
              https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B85M-G43/Specification shows that the motherboard has two SATA ports. Perhaps you have one motherboard SATA port used up by an optical drive - you can temporarily use it for this project.






              share|improve this answer































                1














                Replacing the SSD with an HDD?!?! You're moving backwards. I'd jump a cliff.



                To answer your question you need a Ribbon Style SATA cable or you could a SATA to Molex adapter.



                The actual cable that plugs into the power supply was surprisingly hard to find. I had the most luck searching the term Ribbon Style SATA Cable if you would like to look at other options.






                share|improve this answer
























                • Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                  – BrainstormSurge
                  Aug 24 '18 at 9:15






                • 2





                  @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                  – DrZoo
                  Aug 24 '18 at 14:33





















                0














                The connector on SATA drives is designed so it can be used with either a combined power and data connector or with two seperate connectors for power and data. In desktop systems power and data are normally wired up seperately.



                Power cables are normally part of the power supply. Big brand OEMs will often use power supplies with exactly the right selection of cable lengths and connectors to match the drive bays in their machines. Generic power supplies may have a less-perfect selection of connectors.



                Some fancy power supplies come with cables that can be detatched to make the inside of your case look neater, these are known as "modular cables". Be aware that if your power supply uses these that there is no standard for the power supply end of these cables and they can differ between supplies (even supplies from the same brand), so don't just grab a modular cable from some random power supply and plug it into a spare connector on the power supply.



                If you need extra power connections or the cables won't reach you can buy power splitter an extender cables.






                share|improve this answer























                  Your Answer








                  StackExchange.ready(function() {
                  var channelOptions = {
                  tags: "".split(" "),
                  id: "3"
                  };
                  initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

                  StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
                  // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
                  if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
                  StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
                  createEditor();
                  });
                  }
                  else {
                  createEditor();
                  }
                  });

                  function createEditor() {
                  StackExchange.prepareEditor({
                  heartbeatType: 'answer',
                  autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
                  convertImagesToLinks: true,
                  noModals: true,
                  showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
                  reputationToPostImages: 10,
                  bindNavPrevention: true,
                  postfix: "",
                  imageUploader: {
                  brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
                  contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
                  allowUrls: true
                  },
                  onDemand: true,
                  discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
                  ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
                  });


                  }
                  });














                  draft saved

                  draft discarded


















                  StackExchange.ready(
                  function () {
                  StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fsuperuser.com%2fquestions%2f1351442%2fwhat-cable-do-i-need-to-connect-my-new-hard-drive-to-my-motherboard-power-supp%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                  }
                  );

                  Post as a guest















                  Required, but never shown

























                  5 Answers
                  5






                  active

                  oldest

                  votes








                  5 Answers
                  5






                  active

                  oldest

                  votes









                  active

                  oldest

                  votes






                  active

                  oldest

                  votes









                  3














                  Page 21 of the "Product Manual - Seagate":



                  Applicable to:




                  • Standard models: ST3000DM008, ST2000DM006, ST1000DM010 and ST500DM009


                  • Self-Encryption models: ST3000DM009 and ST2000DM007




                  "3.3 SATA cables and connectors



                  The SATA interface cable consists of four conductors in two differential pairs, plus three ground connections. The cable size
                  may be 30 to 26 AWG with a maximum length of one meter (39.37 inches). See Table 7 for connector pin definitions. Either
                  end of the SATA signal cable can be attached to the drive or host.
                  For direct backplane connection, the drive connectors are inserted directly into the host receptacle. The drive and the host
                  receptacle incorporate features that enable the direct connection to be hot pluggable and blind mateable.



                  For installations which require cables, users can connect the drive as illustrated in Figure 1.



                  Drive Cables



                  Each cable is keyed to ensure correct orientation. BarraCuda drives support latching SATA connectors.







                  share|improve this answer




























                    3














                    Page 21 of the "Product Manual - Seagate":



                    Applicable to:




                    • Standard models: ST3000DM008, ST2000DM006, ST1000DM010 and ST500DM009


                    • Self-Encryption models: ST3000DM009 and ST2000DM007




                    "3.3 SATA cables and connectors



                    The SATA interface cable consists of four conductors in two differential pairs, plus three ground connections. The cable size
                    may be 30 to 26 AWG with a maximum length of one meter (39.37 inches). See Table 7 for connector pin definitions. Either
                    end of the SATA signal cable can be attached to the drive or host.
                    For direct backplane connection, the drive connectors are inserted directly into the host receptacle. The drive and the host
                    receptacle incorporate features that enable the direct connection to be hot pluggable and blind mateable.



                    For installations which require cables, users can connect the drive as illustrated in Figure 1.



                    Drive Cables



                    Each cable is keyed to ensure correct orientation. BarraCuda drives support latching SATA connectors.







                    share|improve this answer


























                      3












                      3








                      3







                      Page 21 of the "Product Manual - Seagate":



                      Applicable to:




                      • Standard models: ST3000DM008, ST2000DM006, ST1000DM010 and ST500DM009


                      • Self-Encryption models: ST3000DM009 and ST2000DM007




                      "3.3 SATA cables and connectors



                      The SATA interface cable consists of four conductors in two differential pairs, plus three ground connections. The cable size
                      may be 30 to 26 AWG with a maximum length of one meter (39.37 inches). See Table 7 for connector pin definitions. Either
                      end of the SATA signal cable can be attached to the drive or host.
                      For direct backplane connection, the drive connectors are inserted directly into the host receptacle. The drive and the host
                      receptacle incorporate features that enable the direct connection to be hot pluggable and blind mateable.



                      For installations which require cables, users can connect the drive as illustrated in Figure 1.



                      Drive Cables



                      Each cable is keyed to ensure correct orientation. BarraCuda drives support latching SATA connectors.







                      share|improve this answer













                      Page 21 of the "Product Manual - Seagate":



                      Applicable to:




                      • Standard models: ST3000DM008, ST2000DM006, ST1000DM010 and ST500DM009


                      • Self-Encryption models: ST3000DM009 and ST2000DM007




                      "3.3 SATA cables and connectors



                      The SATA interface cable consists of four conductors in two differential pairs, plus three ground connections. The cable size
                      may be 30 to 26 AWG with a maximum length of one meter (39.37 inches). See Table 7 for connector pin definitions. Either
                      end of the SATA signal cable can be attached to the drive or host.
                      For direct backplane connection, the drive connectors are inserted directly into the host receptacle. The drive and the host
                      receptacle incorporate features that enable the direct connection to be hot pluggable and blind mateable.



                      For installations which require cables, users can connect the drive as illustrated in Figure 1.



                      Drive Cables



                      Each cable is keyed to ensure correct orientation. BarraCuda drives support latching SATA connectors.








                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered Aug 22 '18 at 19:50









                      RobRob

                      407137




                      407137

























                          2














                          For 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drives the power cable and the SATA cable are separate cables. Every recent power supply should come with a few SATA power plugs. If you don't have enough free plugs, or if your power supply is really old, there are adapters. For data you just need a normal SATA cable.






                          share|improve this answer




























                            2














                            For 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drives the power cable and the SATA cable are separate cables. Every recent power supply should come with a few SATA power plugs. If you don't have enough free plugs, or if your power supply is really old, there are adapters. For data you just need a normal SATA cable.






                            share|improve this answer


























                              2












                              2








                              2







                              For 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drives the power cable and the SATA cable are separate cables. Every recent power supply should come with a few SATA power plugs. If you don't have enough free plugs, or if your power supply is really old, there are adapters. For data you just need a normal SATA cable.






                              share|improve this answer













                              For 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drives the power cable and the SATA cable are separate cables. Every recent power supply should come with a few SATA power plugs. If you don't have enough free plugs, or if your power supply is really old, there are adapters. For data you just need a normal SATA cable.







                              share|improve this answer












                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer










                              answered Aug 22 '18 at 19:42









                              RalfFriedlRalfFriedl

                              1,224247




                              1,224247























                                  2














                                  You've noted that the HD is SATA, so you will need a SATA cable between the motherboard and the drive, and a SATA power cable from the power supply to the drive.
                                  https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B85M-G43/Specification shows that the motherboard has two SATA ports. Perhaps you have one motherboard SATA port used up by an optical drive - you can temporarily use it for this project.






                                  share|improve this answer




























                                    2














                                    You've noted that the HD is SATA, so you will need a SATA cable between the motherboard and the drive, and a SATA power cable from the power supply to the drive.
                                    https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B85M-G43/Specification shows that the motherboard has two SATA ports. Perhaps you have one motherboard SATA port used up by an optical drive - you can temporarily use it for this project.






                                    share|improve this answer


























                                      2












                                      2








                                      2







                                      You've noted that the HD is SATA, so you will need a SATA cable between the motherboard and the drive, and a SATA power cable from the power supply to the drive.
                                      https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B85M-G43/Specification shows that the motherboard has two SATA ports. Perhaps you have one motherboard SATA port used up by an optical drive - you can temporarily use it for this project.






                                      share|improve this answer













                                      You've noted that the HD is SATA, so you will need a SATA cable between the motherboard and the drive, and a SATA power cable from the power supply to the drive.
                                      https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B85M-G43/Specification shows that the motherboard has two SATA ports. Perhaps you have one motherboard SATA port used up by an optical drive - you can temporarily use it for this project.







                                      share|improve this answer












                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer










                                      answered Aug 22 '18 at 19:43









                                      Christopher HostageChristopher Hostage

                                      3,6841029




                                      3,6841029























                                          1














                                          Replacing the SSD with an HDD?!?! You're moving backwards. I'd jump a cliff.



                                          To answer your question you need a Ribbon Style SATA cable or you could a SATA to Molex adapter.



                                          The actual cable that plugs into the power supply was surprisingly hard to find. I had the most luck searching the term Ribbon Style SATA Cable if you would like to look at other options.






                                          share|improve this answer
























                                          • Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                                            – BrainstormSurge
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 9:15






                                          • 2





                                            @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                                            – DrZoo
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 14:33


















                                          1














                                          Replacing the SSD with an HDD?!?! You're moving backwards. I'd jump a cliff.



                                          To answer your question you need a Ribbon Style SATA cable or you could a SATA to Molex adapter.



                                          The actual cable that plugs into the power supply was surprisingly hard to find. I had the most luck searching the term Ribbon Style SATA Cable if you would like to look at other options.






                                          share|improve this answer
























                                          • Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                                            – BrainstormSurge
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 9:15






                                          • 2





                                            @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                                            – DrZoo
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 14:33
















                                          1












                                          1








                                          1







                                          Replacing the SSD with an HDD?!?! You're moving backwards. I'd jump a cliff.



                                          To answer your question you need a Ribbon Style SATA cable or you could a SATA to Molex adapter.



                                          The actual cable that plugs into the power supply was surprisingly hard to find. I had the most luck searching the term Ribbon Style SATA Cable if you would like to look at other options.






                                          share|improve this answer













                                          Replacing the SSD with an HDD?!?! You're moving backwards. I'd jump a cliff.



                                          To answer your question you need a Ribbon Style SATA cable or you could a SATA to Molex adapter.



                                          The actual cable that plugs into the power supply was surprisingly hard to find. I had the most luck searching the term Ribbon Style SATA Cable if you would like to look at other options.







                                          share|improve this answer












                                          share|improve this answer



                                          share|improve this answer










                                          answered Aug 22 '18 at 19:52









                                          DrZooDrZoo

                                          6,02121839




                                          6,02121839













                                          • Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                                            – BrainstormSurge
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 9:15






                                          • 2





                                            @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                                            – DrZoo
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 14:33





















                                          • Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                                            – BrainstormSurge
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 9:15






                                          • 2





                                            @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                                            – DrZoo
                                            Aug 24 '18 at 14:33



















                                          Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                                          – BrainstormSurge
                                          Aug 24 '18 at 9:15





                                          Don't have enough money for a new SSD at the moment. When I build my VR rig in the future I'm sure I'll at least use the SSD for the OS. SSD still has trouble when it experiences too many rewrites and won't last as long as HDD when that happens.

                                          – BrainstormSurge
                                          Aug 24 '18 at 9:15




                                          2




                                          2





                                          @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                                          – DrZoo
                                          Aug 24 '18 at 14:33







                                          @NathanielPhillips The SSD rewrite problem is obsolete. Current SSD's have a much better lifespan compared to the earlier SSDs. If you get a Samsung Pro model SSD, you also get a 10 year warranty instead of a 5 year which is standard with all other SSD/HDDs. If you do get one in the future, I'd recommend 128 GB or larger, even if it's just the OS.

                                          – DrZoo
                                          Aug 24 '18 at 14:33













                                          0














                                          The connector on SATA drives is designed so it can be used with either a combined power and data connector or with two seperate connectors for power and data. In desktop systems power and data are normally wired up seperately.



                                          Power cables are normally part of the power supply. Big brand OEMs will often use power supplies with exactly the right selection of cable lengths and connectors to match the drive bays in their machines. Generic power supplies may have a less-perfect selection of connectors.



                                          Some fancy power supplies come with cables that can be detatched to make the inside of your case look neater, these are known as "modular cables". Be aware that if your power supply uses these that there is no standard for the power supply end of these cables and they can differ between supplies (even supplies from the same brand), so don't just grab a modular cable from some random power supply and plug it into a spare connector on the power supply.



                                          If you need extra power connections or the cables won't reach you can buy power splitter an extender cables.






                                          share|improve this answer




























                                            0














                                            The connector on SATA drives is designed so it can be used with either a combined power and data connector or with two seperate connectors for power and data. In desktop systems power and data are normally wired up seperately.



                                            Power cables are normally part of the power supply. Big brand OEMs will often use power supplies with exactly the right selection of cable lengths and connectors to match the drive bays in their machines. Generic power supplies may have a less-perfect selection of connectors.



                                            Some fancy power supplies come with cables that can be detatched to make the inside of your case look neater, these are known as "modular cables". Be aware that if your power supply uses these that there is no standard for the power supply end of these cables and they can differ between supplies (even supplies from the same brand), so don't just grab a modular cable from some random power supply and plug it into a spare connector on the power supply.



                                            If you need extra power connections or the cables won't reach you can buy power splitter an extender cables.






                                            share|improve this answer


























                                              0












                                              0








                                              0







                                              The connector on SATA drives is designed so it can be used with either a combined power and data connector or with two seperate connectors for power and data. In desktop systems power and data are normally wired up seperately.



                                              Power cables are normally part of the power supply. Big brand OEMs will often use power supplies with exactly the right selection of cable lengths and connectors to match the drive bays in their machines. Generic power supplies may have a less-perfect selection of connectors.



                                              Some fancy power supplies come with cables that can be detatched to make the inside of your case look neater, these are known as "modular cables". Be aware that if your power supply uses these that there is no standard for the power supply end of these cables and they can differ between supplies (even supplies from the same brand), so don't just grab a modular cable from some random power supply and plug it into a spare connector on the power supply.



                                              If you need extra power connections or the cables won't reach you can buy power splitter an extender cables.






                                              share|improve this answer













                                              The connector on SATA drives is designed so it can be used with either a combined power and data connector or with two seperate connectors for power and data. In desktop systems power and data are normally wired up seperately.



                                              Power cables are normally part of the power supply. Big brand OEMs will often use power supplies with exactly the right selection of cable lengths and connectors to match the drive bays in their machines. Generic power supplies may have a less-perfect selection of connectors.



                                              Some fancy power supplies come with cables that can be detatched to make the inside of your case look neater, these are known as "modular cables". Be aware that if your power supply uses these that there is no standard for the power supply end of these cables and they can differ between supplies (even supplies from the same brand), so don't just grab a modular cable from some random power supply and plug it into a spare connector on the power supply.



                                              If you need extra power connections or the cables won't reach you can buy power splitter an extender cables.







                                              share|improve this answer












                                              share|improve this answer



                                              share|improve this answer










                                              answered Feb 8 at 21:44









                                              plugwashplugwash

                                              4,2742917




                                              4,2742917






























                                                  draft saved

                                                  draft discarded




















































                                                  Thanks for contributing an answer to Super User!


                                                  • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                                                  But avoid



                                                  • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                                                  • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                                                  To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                                                  draft saved


                                                  draft discarded














                                                  StackExchange.ready(
                                                  function () {
                                                  StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fsuperuser.com%2fquestions%2f1351442%2fwhat-cable-do-i-need-to-connect-my-new-hard-drive-to-my-motherboard-power-supp%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                                                  }
                                                  );

                                                  Post as a guest















                                                  Required, but never shown





















































                                                  Required, but never shown














                                                  Required, but never shown












                                                  Required, but never shown







                                                  Required, but never shown

































                                                  Required, but never shown














                                                  Required, but never shown












                                                  Required, but never shown







                                                  Required, but never shown







                                                  Popular posts from this blog

                                                  Probability when a professor distributes a quiz and homework assignment to a class of n students.

                                                  Aardman Animations

                                                  Are they similar matrix