Is this normal? (mobo connector)

GreatWaves · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:15

Hi,
I bought a used PSU from a computer store for cheap (it still comes with a warranty though and they supposedly test all used items). The mobo connector has something odd though:

On the bottom left, there is a contact and wire missing. There is no evidence of a wire having been cut in the bundle. It's just missing. Can the motherboard still work properly with that wire missing? Is this a normal variation for the mobo connector?

Thanks

setter · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:18

Just checked an enermax psu i have, theres also a connector with no pin in it. I assume this is the norm, as the psu works fine.

jamesfreddie · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:19

It looks a bit dodgy that connector.

stulid · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:20

A look here shows a GND - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX

setter · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:22

jamesfreddie said:
It looks a bit dodgy that connector.

The small clip/latch does indeed look a bit iffy.

GreatWaves · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:26

stulid said:
A look here shows a +5V - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX

Hmmm... I'll have to read through that carefully.

jamesfreddie said:
It looks a bit dodgy that connector.

That's because of me

I had to trim the clip a bit so it doesn't hit a capacitor.

setter said:
Just checked an enermax psu i have, theres also a connector with no pin in it. I assume this is the norm, as the psu works fine.

So you looked at just the 20 pin part ignoring the extra four? In that pic, the extra four pins would be on the left if attached. But if we're looking at the same pins then that's a normal variation I guess? I've never seen this myself nor in my other PSU's. Hmmm.

Thanks for help

setter · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:30

My enermax is a full 24 pin connector block, by discounting the extra four pins, it is the same as your pin as in your pic above.

GreatWaves · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:37

setter said:
My enermax is a full 24 pin connector block, by discounting the extra four pins, it is the same as your pin as in your pic above.

Ok thanks. I guess the extra +5v must be something for redundancy or something.

Cheers

stulid · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:43

I counted the pins wrong, its actually meant to be a ground.

GreatWaves · 14 Mar 2012 at 19:48

stulid said:
I counted the pins wrong, its actually meant to be a ground.

Edit: I seen what you mean now. It's not one of the +5v rails. The wiki diagram labels it as "reserved".

Tealc · 15 Mar 2012 at 00:08

It's the pin that used to be the -5v white in older ATX PSU revisions. I think -5v was used for ISA cards or something and has now long since been removed from the spec. In saying that though the Akasa extension I bought last year still had a white cable fitted.

GreatWaves · 15 Mar 2012 at 08:09

Tealc said:
It's the pin that used to be the -5v white in older ATX PSU revisions. I think -5v was used for ISA cards or something and has now long since been removed from the spec. In saying that though the Akasa extension I bought last year still had a white cable fitted.

Yeah, I'm still running some old crunchers (P4HT to Core 2 Duo). So most of my psu's are the older spec. I checked one of those when looking if it had the missing pin and of course it did. I didn't bother checking one of my newer psu's because of being inside a case.

The psu in question was going to be connected to an older spec micro atx mobo which also does not use the other additional 4 pin (it only takes the one 20 pin connector and that's it), so I decided to put a spare old spec psu on it just in case.

Cheers