Silverstone PSUs

PSU Power Cables: What Are They Used For?

Whether you have a non-modular or fully modular PSU, most will feature the same type of cables to deliver power to your gaming PC’s hardware. These cables usually consist of:

• 24-pin Motherboard - The 24-pin cable supplies power to the motherboard chipset, alongside many other components such as RAM and PCIe devices. The connector is usually a large block, which is typically located on the right side of the board.
• 4+4-pin CPU - A 4+4-pin cable delivers power directly to your CPU. The connector is generally located to the top left of the motherboard and can either feature a 4- or 8-pin interface depending on the power requirements of the CPU.
• 6+2-pin PCIe - Otherwise known as a PCIe cable, is a supplementary power connector for PCIe components that have higher power requirements than the PCIe slot can provide. It is commonly used with GPUs. A PCIe device that requires extra power will feature one or more ports. These can be in differing locations depending on the manufacturer.
• SATA - SATA cables are designed to deliver power to devices such as your storage drives. Many SATA cables feature up to four connectors, allowing you to power up to four devices using a single cable. A SATA port can be in a range of locations depending on the device. For example, on a storage drive, it is usually located next to the data port on the rear.
• MOLEX - A style of cable that has generally fallen out of use. MOLEX is generally utilised by older hardware, such as HDDs, fans, and lighting strips. The connector can vary depending on the component. For example, an HDD will have it next to the data port, whilst a fan may have a hardwired cable for connection.
• 12+4-pin 12VHPWR - 12VHPWR is the latest standard of cable, also referred to as PCIe 5.0. As with the previous generation of PCIe cables, it is a supplementary cable for powerful add-on cards, such as high-end GPUs. The port for a 12VHPWR cable is generally located on the side of a graphics card that points away from the motherboard.