24/20 PSU question

[dgk]

A friend gave me a Dell E510 - not a bad PC but the power button just blinks. That appears to be either a PSU, Front Panel Connector, or MB problem. So I went to try a spare PSU and I only have one crappy one with a 20 pin connector. The MB takes 24. The spare PSU does have an extra 4 pin connector, but the MB also has a 4 pin connector. So MB wants 28 pins and the poor PSU only can offer 24.

I don't want to damage the MB by using less than what it requires, but don't want to buy a PSU just to find out if it will work.

Suggestions?

 

[JLK03F150]

I've been using a 20 to 24 pin adapter on an old Abit AA8XE & really old Antec 550 for a long time. Cheaper than a PSU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189060

 

[Bobnova]

Far as i know ATX spec calls for the 20pin connector to work in 24pin mobos, or you can get an adapter.

 

[dgk]

Thanks. I did find an Antec 400; I knew I had a spare PSU somewhere. The PC works fine with it. Oddly the fan in the PSU doesn't work! I took off the grill and can spin the fan while the power is on so it's defective. It's a brand new PSU still in the box! But I bought it so long ago that I can't possibly return it even if I knew where I bought it. I only noticed because I started smelling something burning and put my hand behind it to see if there was a breeze. No.

Physically there is also a problem because the drive location is close to the cover and the SATA connector on the Antec blocks it, so I need a PSU with a narrow type connector at the end of the cable. The Antec has a narrow connector but it's not long enough to reach the drive. So it goes.

 

[dgk]

Oops, never mind...

The PSU is supposed to do that - it only uses that fan if it needs to. Duh.

So, it's working fine, the smell is just normal burn-in. But I still need to somehow convert the big sata connector to a narrow one.