PSU mod idea.

Not sure if this is the correct forum to ask.

Is it possible to cut off all the wires from typical PSU (except perhaps mb atx connector) and rerout output of rails directly to the connectors installed on the side of the PSU.
Then one can use whatever wires he wants to connect specific devicec to the PSU.
The main idea is to reduce the clutter (having only the power wires one needs for this particular setup) and to create possibility of installing better wires. (are there psu wire specs out there?)

What do you think?
Is it feasable?

yes this is possible.

The black wires are either -5volts or -12 volts, the yellow wires are 12v and the red wires are 5v.

I opened up an old AT powersupply, and all the red wires went to one place, yellow to another, and red to yet another place.

ATX powersupplies are more complex, however. They have the -12v and the -5 volt. I'm not sure if these are the ground wires on the molex connector, but if I had to guess I would say that the -12v is next to the yellow wire, and the -5v is next to the red wire. When people do the 17v mod they use this I believe.

To reduce clutter, You could just cut off all the connectors you don't use, and daisy chain everything off of one molex.

I could be wrong, but I thought the blacks are just grounds.

Maybe they are. I know that in AT powersupplies they are, but in ATX I've heard of people making 17volts by going from +12v to -5v. They may just be gounds... I don't know.

And remember you need very good contacts.. 5V drawing a whole lot of amps is really sensitive to any ohms of resistance. If I should do this, I'd let the motherboard connector be as it is, and make connectors for the perhipals only.

As you mentioned improving the wireing, then for the motherboard connector maybe replace the wires? Some tricky soldering, but it should work. And then also to the exact lenght required.

I've modded my PSU a bit by shortening the MB connector wires and integrating a (relay) switched 220V socket in the PSU.

Red is 5v+ Yellow is 12v+ blacks are ground. The -5v and -12v are found on the ATX connector, which also contains sense lines and some otehr stuff. Its ok to shorten the ATX connector and remove any unnecessary wires. I have done it to a bunch of my PSUs with no issues. Just be carefull when soldering inside the PSU. Ive shocked myself a few times and its not very fun. The caps hold a charge in there even if its unpluged. The best thing to do is short the 110v plug, which usually discharges the caps, and makes it a bit safer to work on. Just don't start jamming a screw driver around in there.

Be wary of daisy-chaining too many devices on one set of molexes, because I think I heard of someone who has stability issues when putting too much load on one line like that.

Does anyone know of an adapter that you can plug into the 20 or 24pin ATX lead to connect it to a 12 pin AT? The reason I ask is I am in the process of building my first comp, but it is slow going. Money is the limiting factor and it doesn't look like I'll have it done till late spring. In the meantime this old Compaq is all I have and the 165W AT PSU is starting to have problems keeping up with the extra RAM and Voodo3 I upgraded to. I don't wanna waste $40.oo on an AT PSU that I'm only gonna use for 6 months tops.

I want to buy a PSU that is reasonably future proof so I am leaning towards the Directron EPSTT-520SS Made by TTGI (Traditional Technology Group, Inc.). 520W, combined 3.3v & 5v is 260W. it has 10 IDE, 2 floppy, +12v, Aux, 24 pin and an 8 pin. A 24pin to 20 pin adapter comes with it. It also has adustable pots to dial in the voltages.

If I can't find an adapter I'll have to make one myself, the hard part will be comming up with a wiring diagram to figure out which wires go where.

Thanks for any insight.

Freeconn

j/k

That would be a good question to ask in the Case and PSU forum by itself, Im sure it would get a lot more attention there, so you could get a good answer.

You are correct, this doesn't belong here. I shall move it, post haste, to the proper venue.

Freeconn

P.S. Exuse my temporary ignorance. I'm way too drunk.

Freeconn said:

P.S. Exuse my temporary ignorance. I'm way too drunk.

Click to expand...

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146088

Hey, do you guys think you could splice two atx psu's together to form a more powerful one? Just match all the proper wires up.

loner said:

Be wary of daisy-chaining too many devices on one set of molexes, because I think I heard of someone who has stability issues when putting too much load on one line like that.

Click to expand...

I'd be more worried about pulling more current than those wires are rated for (thus causing them to heat up or melt, then contact with something you don't want them to).