Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods > What type of ribbon do I need to connect my SATA HARD drive?

What type of ribbon do I need to connect my SATA HARD drive?

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - What type of ribbon do I need to connect my SATA HARD drive?

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LAPIII   02-04-2009 at 12:06:03 AM

I put in a new powers by in my old computer and the ribbon connected to the powers by isn't long enough to connect to the hard drive and the motherboard. I have both my DVD drives connected to the motherboard but what do I need to connect that ribbon to the hard drive and then to my motherboard?

This is my motherboard, the power supply connects to 'DE2' in the lower right corner of the layout:
Is
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc [...] ct=3184153

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Bronze CPUs badge DellUser1   02-04-2009 at 12:15:44 AM
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Sounds like you've connected the SATA data cable from the hard drive to the motherboard, now you need to connect a SATA power cable from the power supply to the hard drive.

------------------------------ q9650 @ 4.050 | Asus Rampage Formula | 2x2 Corsair Dominators | WD Black 640 x2
EVGA GTX260 Core216 @ 686/1479/1103 | Antec TPN 750

 

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Mondoman   02-04-2009 at 03:41:08 AM
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Lap, that's because it is NOT supposed to connect the PS to the drive to the MB. One type of ribbon connects the PS to the drive, providing only power. A different type of ribbon cable connects the drive to the MB.

 

You seem to have things very wrong. Do NOT connect ANY cable from the power supply to "IDE2" (not DE2) nor to "IDE1" on the MB. Those MB connectors are for DATA (not power) ribbon cables to IDE devices (perhaps your optical drives?).

 

Please give us a list of all cables and where you have connected them (each end).


Message edited by Mondoman on 02-04-2009 at 03:43:01 AM
------------------------------ e2160@3GHz: OCing my way to Ubuntuland!
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LAPIII   02-04-2009 at 04:27:09 PM
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I now have the SATA cable running from the hard drive to SATA 1 on the motherboard, but the power supply is only connected to my two DVD drives via IDE cable. That IDE cable has an extra connector for the hard drive which I think I need an IDE to SAT converter cable.

Please tell me if this is all correct, thank you!

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LAPIII   02-04-2009 at 04:37:55 PM
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In addition to my last post, I have an extra IDE hard drive and if I choose to connect it to the IDE cable then how do I connect to the motherboard?

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Kari   02-04-2009 at 06:58:55 PM
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there's no way you could connect the psu to a drive via ide cable. use a 4pin molex or sata-power cable to do that

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chjade84   02-04-2009 at 08:58:48 PM
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You have the SATA cable from the HDD to SATA 1 right.

 

The IDE cable is NOT connected to the power supply, it is connected to the motherboard; IDE 1, for instance. IDE is a ribbon cable used to transfer data.

 

The power supply molex connectors are connected to the DVD drives.

 

The power supply SATA cable should be connected to the HDD. If there is no SATA power from the PSU then yes, you need a molex to SATA adapter.

 

Nothing should (or could) ever be connected from the PSU to both the motherboard and the drives. It should be:

 

PSU---to--->Motherboard via 20 or 20+4 pin connector
PSU---to--->Optical Drives via molex connector
PSU---to--->HDD via SATA power connector (or molex with SATA converter)

 

Motherboard---to--->Optical Drives via IDE ribbon cable
Motherboard---to--->HDD via SATA cable

 


Message edited by chjade84 on 02-04-2009 at 08:59:29 PM
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Mondoman   02-05-2009 at 01:50:21 AM
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Quote :

the power supply is only connected to my two DVD drives via IDE cable. That IDE cable has an extra connector for the hard drive which I think I need an IDE to SAT converter cable.


No! I think you are giving the wrong names for the cables you have. Remember, each drive needs both POWER and DATA cables connected to it. The power cable comes from the power supply. The data cable comes from the motherboard.

 

An "IDE cable" is a wide ribbon cable with 80 wires; each of its connectors has 40 pins/holes in two rows of 20. There is NO way to connect this cable to a power supply. It is a DATA cable. It is used to connect IDE/ATA drives to an IDE/ATA connector on the MB. You must have an IDE/ATA drive to use this cable; SATA drives use a completely different data cable. The IDE cable looks like this (you need the 80-wire version): http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ [...] e80-c.html

 

A "SATA cable" is a DATA cable for a SATA drive. Its connector looks like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe [...] _Cable.jpg

 

The POWER for an IDE/ATA drive is supplied by a "MOLEX" type 4-wire cable from the power supply. The POWER for a SATA drive is supplied by a "SATA power" 5-wire cable from the power supply. See here for pictures: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Show [...] r%20Supply

 


Message edited by Mondoman on 02-05-2009 at 01:51:16 AM
------------------------------ e2160@3GHz: OCing my way to Ubuntuland!
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LAPIII   02-18-2009 at 06:52:38 PM
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My list of connectors from the power supply:

20-pin ATX Main Power Connector
ATX12V Power Connector
1 4-pin Floppy Drive Connector
3 4-pin Molex Peripheral Connector

I have IDE cable that connects my two DVD drives an old IDE hard drive. With this setup, how do I connect that hard drive to the motherboard. How about if I want to connect both the IDE and SATA hard drives? I do have an SATA cable


Message edited by LAPIII on 02-18-2009 at 06:58:37 PM
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lotussama   02-19-2009 at 10:31:09 PM
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You'd need a molex 4-pin Y adapter, assuming the SATA drive has a socket for that power.

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