[PCIe Firewire Card] Where to connect 4-pin power connector?

calnix

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Jan 25, 2013
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First off, I apologize if this is posted in the wrong forum. I looked through and didn't see anywhere else that seemed more appropriate.

I ordered a Firewire PCIe card to use my FireStudio Project audio interface with. (This is the card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=15-287-011&nm_mc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_- )

The card came with a SATA to 4-pin adapter (the 4-pin plugs into the card itself). Forgive me for asking such a basic question, I'm not too computer saavy. But where do I plug the SATA into?

My mobo is an Asus z75 Pro3, and the only other SATA I see in my computer are the ones my DVD drive and SSHD have.

The manual says that it is only 'recommended' that the SATA power source be connected for extra power. Right now I have the card just plugged in the mobo, no SATA power, and it works. However with this interface I have I plan to be recording up to 8 preamp's simultaneously into a DAW, and I'm worried that firewire card might fail or something without the additional power when I put that big of a load on it.

Is my power supply just lacking the needed plug? Or do I daisy chain of some sort from the DVD drive to the PCIe card? Or is the extra power not needed?

Thank you all for any help.
 

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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Hi. A Molex plug (4-pin) from your power supply unit can be plugged into the connector. If you don't have a Molex plug available but you do have an unused SATA plug from your power supply unit, then you can use the included adapter. The Molex plug from your PSU is the third plug from the right in the image below while the SATA plug is next to it on the right. You should check to see if you have a Molex or SATA plug available. I can't say whether the extra power is needed but I think it would be better than not having enough. If you are worried, I would plug in the connector just to be safe.
psu-plugs.jpg