PSU melts molex-to-sata adapters

I'm using an 'EZ Cool 'Super Silent' 600W ATX-600 JSP' modular PSU. Previously, I used the sata power cable supplied, which connected to psu via a female 5pin aux power connector.

Basically, it looked like this:




(Except with 5 pins. One for each wires shown in the above image)

The adapters I used were these:



(the yellow wire is where it melted)



This melted around the same area on the sata end

Any theories on what is causing this? I suspect it has something to do with the 3.3v orange wire, or lack thereof, on the molex cables.

Also, does anybody know where i can find a 5 pin sata power cable that matches the description above? I've searched high and low and I can barely find anything that acknowledges it's actual existence.

BillyThaKid said:

'EZ Cool 'Super Silent' 600W ATX-600 JSP'

Click to expand...

that is your problem, not the adapters

What drive are you using? I've never seen a drive that needs the 3.3v rail. If it is a particularly high rpm drive, a cheap molex adapter may not use thick enough wire to carry the required current.

lord filbuster said:

What drive are you using? I've never seen a drive that needs the 3.3v rail. If it is a particularly high rpm drive, a cheap molex adapter may not use thick enough wire to carry the required current.

Click to expand...

ST3320418AS Barracuda 7200.12 SATA 3Gb/s 320GB

The PCB was fried.

My most recent attempt was a LiteOn ihas124-19b

BillyThaKid said:

'EZ Cool 'Super Silent' 600W ATX-600 JSP'

Click to expand...

OMG

I have one of these ... it's like taking your life in your own hands.

Burn it with fire before it burns you

I'm going to say the EZ Cool PSU is the issue. I had to use one as a backup for a while and was worried that my PC would do spooky things at any given moment... Luckily it hasn't yet, but I would never put it in my PC again, just looking at it gave me the chills.

Melting is usually caused by a dodgy connection.

As current flows from one metal to another it slightly warms up the two surfaces.

If the two surfaces are not touching each other properly and say only a tiny area is making contact all the current must travel through that part, so it gets warmer. If the point of contact is small enough that it can't fully carry the current it gets hot and melts stuff. Tinned brass terminals are a good conductor of heat and so the heat travels into the plastic and down the copper cables into the device and damages it.

The problem could also be caused by poor termination on the yellow or black wires, where the insulation has been fed into the crimp (overfed terminal) and again only a small part of the copper cable is making contact with the terminal.

The PSU is cheap and nasty but in this case I wouldn't blame it for the damage, especially if you've used third party adaptors to get power into the drive.

That PSU is absolute junk, bin it and buy a proper one ASAP.

I have a feeling maybe the adapters weren't the right wire gauge or it could be the PSU.

Either way the PSU is still junk, spend some money on a decent one. If the modular ones are too expensive then get a non modular one.