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Hardware Cable Modders PSU Modding Supplies review

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by brumgrunt, 14 Feb 2013.

  1. brumgrunt

    brumgrunt What's a Dremel?

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  2. blackworx

    blackworx Cable Wrangler

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    Tsk you young'uns don't know how good you've got it. Time was you had to make a bit of effort sourcing parts if you wanted to cable mod properly, now it's just handed to you on a plate! Grumble grumble moan moan etc.
     
  3. Combatus

    Combatus Bit-tech Modding + hardware reviews Lover of bit-tech Super Moderator

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    :D All we need now are some capacitors and a circuit board and we'll be making our own PSUs next!
     
  4. law99

    law99 Custom User Title

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  5. Combatus

    Combatus Bit-tech Modding + hardware reviews Lover of bit-tech Super Moderator

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  6. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    I actually think the 18awg wires look a lot nicer than the shrink wrapped cables.

    One question I would have about making my own cables is that when making pass through cables for devices with either Molex or S-ATA connectors, what is the maximum you can have on a single line? What is the equation to work out how many device you can have on a single rail?
     
  7. law99

    law99 Custom User Title

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    I tried to figure out what was happening by looking at it and gave up. Was too hard.
     
  8. SuicideNeil

    SuicideNeil What's a Dremel?

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    I don't length will ever be an issue unless your pc is the size of a room, literally.

    Working out how many devices you can have on one rail / cable is 'merely' a case of knowing the max current draw of each device, vs how much current the wires & rail can support. A PSU with a single 12v rail is usually rared for anything between ~20 to 50amps, though an individual ~18g wire is rated for 2.3amps ordinarily ( will happily take more, but temps will increase and voltage drop will become a factor ):

    http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

    I used Cable Modders stuff in my project, nice quality stuff though not the most flexible- that's the issue with the insulation they use on the wires though. I'd love manufacturers to use silicon insulated wires like you find in more high-end electronics... ( R/C industry for examle :D ).
     
  9. Combatus

    Combatus Bit-tech Modding + hardware reviews Lover of bit-tech Super Moderator

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    The maximum would be determined by the power available on that particular rail (all this info should be available from your manufacturers website) and the draw from the devices you want to connect. However, it can be a bit tricky identifying individual rails as sometimes one SATA and Molex cable can be on one rail, and another can be on another rail, each with different limits. Unless you have diagrams and can take the PSU apart (danger, death, kill!) to be 100% sure, I wouldn't recommend adding more connectors (one or two more probably wouldn't hurt, but don't quote me on that!)
     
  10. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks for the response... I ask because I have a 600w Be Quiet PSU and on the device rails (HDD, Optical Drive... Etc) they have a couple S-ATA connectors and then some molex or the old Floppy Drive style connectors. So to power up my 5 HDD's and Optical Drive I have to use both rails which is both untidy and space taking. If I could create a single rail for all those devices then that would be ideal, but as mentioned I would have to know the figures to get the right power.
     
  11. Combatus

    Combatus Bit-tech Modding + hardware reviews Lover of bit-tech Super Moderator

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    Oops I think I just repeated a lot of what SuicideNeil said as he got in first!
     
  12. Shirty

    Shirty W*nker! Super Moderator

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    Back in my day you had to weave your own sleeving, smelt your own copper wire and GPUs were pedal powered.
     
  13. Guest-23315

    Guest-23315 Guest

    Must not comment on sheer hatred of individually sleeved cables...
     
  14. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    Must get reasons... :)
    What do you hate about them? Just the look?
     
  15. jrs77

    jrs77 Modder

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    The wires and the braiding arent the problems really. The crimping-tools are, as a good one costs some $40 allready, and then you need to have a source for the crimps and the connectors, and they aren't cheap either. Especially SATA-crimps and connectors are hard to find and the only source I know of where you can get all of the stuff in one place is MDPC.

    Rewiring a PSU, with all the stuff included costs some serious money, especially if you don't mod your PSUs that often, as the tools cost asmuch as a new PSU allready.

    Simple braiding is much cheaper to realise, as you don't need anything else then a pin-remover and a heatgun (a lighter works aswell).
     
  16. LightningPete

    LightningPete Diagnosis: ARMAII-Holic

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    Better question for the extreme lazy. Can we not take our rigs to someone to do this for us for a price?
     
  17. Chris_Waddle

    Chris_Waddle Loving my new digital pinball machine

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    I have spent many an hour braiding cables in the past and whilst it looks great, I can't say I enjoy it.
    If I was going to do it again, I think I would go down the route of re-wiring it all rather than braiding.

    For my current project I have cheated. I bought the Corsair cables that are braided. I have to be honest, they look the dogs. The only issue is that you don't get to pick the adapters you want and the cable lengths.
     
  18. ev1lm1nd666

    ev1lm1nd666 What's a Dremel?

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    What in the name of all that is holy did that guy do? Looks to me the guy tried to re-create the water-pipe mini game from BioShock 2 while on mind-bending drugs lol
     
  19. flame696

    flame696 Terminating People Since 1980....

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    I dont think i have the concentration level to do my PSU ill probably have a fit of rage half way though and chuck the whole lot out the window so thats why i bought a set of red corsair cables
     
  20. PingCrosby

    PingCrosby What's a Dremel?

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    Roll on the extinction of cables
     
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