This is more of a space need but Is it safe to use only 1 ground line for a DVD Drive? because I need to fit the wires in a tight spot and I figured I could just use one of the ground wires and just connect it to both pins on the molex. Safe?
Most likely, it probably only uses, at most, 1500 ma on each line, and 3A on the single wire should be fine.
If something shorts both lines to the ground, but there is enough resistance on the 12v line to keep it from cutting off the psu, there is a slight risk that the single ground wire could catch on fire and ruin your whole computer. But you could also just run the ground wires to the case so that the current returns throught the case, so you don't need the ground wires on the molex. (if you feel comfortable soldering 2 leads to the PCB) But if you do that make sure you have a good connection between your psu and the case. So you cant use anodized screws or painted black ones.
i say it would be ok as most cables from a PSU can take more current draw than they will eve see, they r designed that way to stop them from melting. you would need about 8 amps flowing at least to start getting toasty ground wires (personal experience of this )
Thanks for the informative reply, Im confident that nothing will short so Im sure I dont have to worry about fire although I had never considered that much before. Im assuming that if something did short out it would be instant upon turning on the computer giving me time to fix whatever problem may arrise, like fire. Thanks for your replies Conkbot and fump.
you could use a bigger ground wire, like 1 gauge bigger then the yellow and red wires on the molex. If it shorts, either the PSU has short protection of the fuse blows; it shouldn't have enough time to cook any wires. another component will fry before the wires do, at any rate. The DVD shouldn't have any problems with shorts, either.
