4 Different-spec Hdd, same PSU rail

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okarowarrior

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Jul 18, 2015
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Hi. I think I am asking to make a monstrous connection here, but i want to know if I can run safely this kind of setup without having:
1)Speed/Type compatibility issues with the MOBO
2)Electrical issues with the PSU vs Hdds

Mobo: Asrock FM2A58M-VG3 + R2.0
PSU: Seasonic 620w m12ii

I have 4 Hdds. Two "new" Western digital disks: WD10EZEX 1 TB (Sata III, 7200rpm, OS installed here) ; WD500AAKX 500GB (Sata III, 7200rpm).
One netbook 2.5'' Hitachi Travelstar 5K500 250GB (Sata II, 5200rpm)
One old Samsung SP2004C 200GB (Sata II, 7200rpm)

Now im currently running win10 on the WD 1TB drive with the WD500gb and the Hitachi one plugged all with the same multi-connector cable to one of the PSU's sata slolts without any problems.
The cable has 5 connectors. Now im using 3. I want to know if i wouldn't have any serious issues/damage to components if i connect the 4 Hdds with the same cable to the PSU despite being the disks so different each other.

Thanks.
 
Solution
USAFRet
From the PSU, the drives only need power.
If the cable from the PSU has 5 actual SATA connections, they obviously planned for the eventuality that someone would connect 5 drives.

It can take it.

Different SATA types? I, II, III? The motherboard handles this.
Some boards have SATA III and SATA II ports. Obviously, you'd connect a SATA III drive to a SATA III port.
However, with an HDD, SATA III or SATA II does not matter. The HDD cannot saturate a SATA II port, much less a SATA III port.
And they are forwards and backwards compatible. A SATA II drive plugged into a SATA III port is still only a SATA II drive.

Now...if you were trying to connect a SATA III SSD to a SATA II port...the SSD would run at the slower SATA II...
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okarowarrior

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Jul 18, 2015
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Thank you very much. Can you explain yourself a little more?
Because I read on other forums a bunch of stuff about calculating the amp ammount that the hdd consumes working/iddle from each rail and then verifying if the psu AND the cable can handle it.
Also, the guy that repaired my mother's notebook said to me It was a bad idea merging different Sata types at the same time(he haven't gave me a reason why, though)
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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From the PSU, the drives only need power.
If the cable from the PSU has 5 actual SATA connections, they obviously planned for the eventuality that someone would connect 5 drives.

It can take it.

Different SATA types? I, II, III? The motherboard handles this.
Some boards have SATA III and SATA II ports. Obviously, you'd connect a SATA III drive to a SATA III port.
However, with an HDD, SATA III or SATA II does not matter. The HDD cannot saturate a SATA II port, much less a SATA III port.
And they are forwards and backwards compatible. A SATA II drive plugged into a SATA III port is still only a SATA II drive.

Now...if you were trying to connect a SATA III SSD to a SATA II port...the SSD would run at the slower SATA II speed.

For spinning hard drives, don't worry. It will all work.
 
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Solution
USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
171,315
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My recently disassembled HTPC had 6 drives in it.
DVD, SATA II SSD, SATA III SSD, and a random combination of various spinning drives.

And the only thought to where the SATA power cables were plugged in was to optimize cable management.
Which cable connected to which drive, with the least amount of clutter and spaghetti wiring.
 
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