SMPS / PSU Power Connectors or Cables Explained in Detail
SMPS or PSU is the component that supplies power to your major computer components. In this blog I have many useful articles regarding SMPS and continuing with that here I will tell you about the different types of connectors or cables of an SMPS that supply power to various computer components and devices.
Know more about SMPS / PSU by going through these Posts
- How to Find the Best PSU for your PC
- Best SMPS Brands
- Some SMPS Brands to Avoid
- Best Budget 400W /500W SMPS to Buy Online
Description & Details of SMPS Cables or Connectors
Here is the complete list and description of connectors or cables of a PSU that supply power to all your major hardware components of your PC.
SMPS or PSU Connectors
20 + 4 Pin ATX / Motherboard Connector
This is the main ATX connector that supplies power to your motherboard and other components like RAM, Low-end graphics card, PCI cards that are connected to your motherboard. Earlier motherboards have 20 pin sockets only but now modern-day motherboards require 24-pin power connectors. Therefore nowadays all the SMPS comes with 24 pin detachable connector (20 + 4) that can be split into 20 pin and 4 pin cables.
CPU 4 + 4 Pin Connector
This is the 12 Volt connector that supplies power to your CPU or Processor. Some motherboards have 4 pins 12V CPU socket and some have 8 pins 12V socket, therefore most of the good power supplies come with 8-pin (4 + 4) detachable connectors which can be split into two 4 pin connectors.
SATA Power Connector
This power connector is used to power up SATA devices that mostly include Hard Disks, DVD Writers / Drives.
Floppy 4 Pin Connector
This 4 pin power connector is used to power floppy drives. Floppy Drives are not being used commonly, but in some cases they can prove very useful.
Peripheral 4 Pin Molex Connector
Peripheral 4 Pin Molex Connector is used to provide power to IDE devices and other peripherals like Fans, case lights etc. You can also use this Molex 4 pin connector to power other devices like SATA devices, Graphics cards etc. by the use of converters or adapters e.g. Molex to SATA power connector etc.
PCI-e 6 Pin / PCI-e 8 Pin Connector
PCI-e 6 Pin or PCI-e 6+2 Pin are 12 Volt Connectors that are used to provide power to mid to high range graphics cards that require extra amount of power for their working. Budget and low-end graphics cards do not need them as they draw their power from the motherboard PCI-Express x16 slot only. Older mid to high-end graphics card comes with PCI-e 6 Pin slot while the newer high-end graphics comes with PCI-e 8 Pin slot. The new PCI Express 8 Pin cable can provide a maximum of 150 Watts power which is double that of the PCI Express 6 Pin cable i.e. 75 Watts.
Note: The number and availability of these connectors vary and depend upon the model and brand of the SMPS. Budget SMPS have less number of these connectors but high-end Power supplies have a higher number.
Must Read: PC Power Supply Calculator Tools to Find the Right SMPS
About Author
Akshat Verma
A Professional Blogger, Web Developer, Hardware Enthusiast, Gamer, Geek and Founder of many other websites. He holds M.Tech degree in IT and B.E degree in Computer Science & Engineering.
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hi akshat i have intel i3 3220 processor intel dh77eb mother board lg dvd drive and 1 tb hd.i want to buy corsair vs450 psu.in wattage calculator website it shows 245w.is there any problem to buy 450w psu.
Corsair VS450 is a very good branded SMPS and it will be enough for your system.
I have lenovo thinkcentre m58p, can work this smps?
Which SMPS?
Sir,
Will corsair vs 450 will
support my Foxin 700va
+ UPS,it doesnot have
Pure Sign
wave power mark will
it suport vs450? If not
what should I do?
I think it may support it but if it does not then use your computer without UPS or get another UPS.
Sir my. Pc spec is cpu i74790k.smps antec 650 watt.and ram is 16gb.mobo is Asus z97a.sir please suggest me the GPU for 4k.shall I buy zotac mini 1070 or 1060.gpu.space problem in cabinet so suggest me the small.thanks waiting for your reply.
Which cabinet do you have? For 4K you should go with Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 Mini.
I have I ball bassil cabinet sir.
No problems for GTX 1070 mini then
Sir please also reply that can my amps is capable to handle this GPU?
yes your smps can handle it
My smps is Antec VP 650
sir please also suggest me 4k gaming monitor for my spec as above.my budget is Rs.40000
I suggest you to go for LG 4K-UHD 27UD68P-B 27-inch Monitor
sir my pc spec is smpsAntec 650.processor i7 4790k gpu.zotac 1089 mini.mobo Asus z97A.sir im confused about monitor i need 4k ips monitor for games and to watch tv serials i have tatasky hd setup box.please suggest me either i go for lg or asus i spend upto Rs40000 to 45000. please please please help me.
gpu is zotac 1080 mini sir
Both are good but I prefer LG more.
Hi Akshat , is there any way to check if smps is working fine ? Any way to check all the connectors are workng fine ?
Thanks for all your info and replies..
You can check it with a multimeter.
Am a little confused-please help. Your higher end SMPS appear to have fans on the top with the plug point n the rear. If the fan is on top, how will the “hot air” go out. If inside the cabinet, will there not be heat buildup inside.
the fan goes on the bottom and not the top.
Hello, Bhai I Want to build a pc in 30,000 with graphic card which can support all types of game. Could you suggest me something…….
Including monitor or just the CPU?
I have a corsair VS550
I was recently randomly going through the bios and I notices that the 3.3v rail is giving only 3.04 volts
It’s been 2 years since I purchased this smps
Pc specs
3!hdd (2 wdd and 1 segate)
Gt 710
Antec cooler
Core 2 quad
A cd drive
Asus p5kpl am/PS
And corsair VS550
Any reason to why is this happening
Also 12v rail gives only 11.7v
Sometimes BIOS readings can often be wrong.
Hi Akshat,
Thank you very much for the useful post. I have a Dell Dimension 5150 that I purchased in Canada and brought to India. It has a 305 W SMPS. Unfortunately, I forgot to flip the voltage switch and directly plugged it in. There was a sound and the Desktop stopped working.
I may need to replace the SMPS. If so, which brand/model do you suggest that can exactly fit the holes in the Dimension 5150 chassis?
Also, is there a fuse in the SMPS that can be changed instead of replacing the PSU?
Thank you
Kumar.
You can fit standard size PSU and I suggest Corsair VS450.
Thank you Akshat. Is it better to replace the PSU rather than changing the blown fuse?
Replace the PSU and I don’t think it is a fuse.
I have i5 3570k Intel processor, ram 8gb DDR3, SSD 256gb, and I am using 4 led fan, h61 motherboard so any suggestions which one should I use SMPS . Recently my 230 vac SMPS turn off I have to buy new pls sir reply me soon as possible thanks you
I would suggest Ant Esports VS400L PSU. You can get it from Amazon at https://www.amazon.in/Ant-Esports-VS400L-Power-Supply/dp/B09XQRMBCK/
I recently heard about a psu brand called ” FINGERS”. There is not much details about them on the internet. So could you please make a review about it.
Never heard of it.
I have a foxin 500s psu installed in my pc. I checked on amazon and found that it’s a 200w psu and has 24A on 12V. I don’t have a GPU. Specs- Pentium g645, mercury h61 motherboard, 2×2 2gb DDR3, 160 gb crucial ssd and that’s all. Should I continue use this?
If it is working fine then use it.
Can you please make a review on the antec atom v450w psu not antec BP450w psu
Maybe in future.
Can i use the foxin 500s( which actually is 200w on amazon) has 24A on 12V if my pc requires only 175w power which cooler master psu calculator told me
I think you can use it because your PC power requirements are on the lower side.
Would you recommend Antec atom v450w?there is nothing about this particular psu on the manufacturer website
Looks decent for the price and is definitely better than Chinese and local brands like Intex, foxin etc.
Is frontech motherboard good…??
No
I just found this new h61 motherboard called “REO”, It has “all solid capacitors” and looks really solid.Is this good or should I buy frontech as you told.
Can you send me the link so that I can look at.
https://www.amazon.in/REO-Socket-Motherboard-Supports-Intel/dp/B07WDG6WCS
Bro I am finally going to buy a new power supply. My options are cooler master mwe 450 and Corsair vs450. What psu do you recommend and please tell why?
Both are equally good but I suggest you to go with Cooler Master MWE 450 because of its higher operating temperature of 40°C compared to 30°C in Corsair VS450.
How to connect a standard SMPS 24 PIN CONNECTOR to HP dc7800 small 24 pin motherboard connector.
Please help.
You have to look for an adapter for it.
Hey Akshat!! Please check these Monitors and let me know which brand is durable to buy for gaming and has future?
**Asus VG259Q 24″ vs LG 27GL650F Ultragear Gaming monitor**
Both are good but I would prefer LG 27GL650F because of bigger screen and G-Sync compatibility.
Don’t the asus have g sync compatibility and apart from the screen size, which is best in both? Like which has more advantages
Well, both are good models and you can’t go wrong with any one of them. The final choice is yours.
Please also let me know if there any use of HDR10 in gaming monitors when compared to Asus. And is the LGs display more crisp than asus ?
No need of HDR as only few games support it. Yes, generally LG displays are crisper than Asus but that depends on the models in comparison too.
Hi Akshat,
I have a Lenovo 510S desktop, bought recently (this is a small form factor cabinet) having 180W SMPS. Is it possible to upgrade the SMPS to 300W or 450W (because I would like to install a mid-range graphics card) . I am not sure which SMPS can fit into my desktop.
Thanks in advance!
I think Lenovo also has 240W PSU with the same form factor. I don’t think even a TFX PSU is compatible with this machine.
For 10th generation i5 or i7 processors, would VS 450 Corsair be okay if I don’t use graphic cards or games?
Please guide.
Yes it is.
Corsair VS 450 is not available in my city – Gigabyte and Cooler Master are available in 450 range.
Which one should I choose between Gigabyte 450 and Cooler Master 450
But Corsair VS 500 is available. Although Corsair VS500 is slightly costlier, would it make sense to buy Corsair 500 over Gigabyte or Cooler Master.
Kindly share your opinion.
Go with the Cooler Master 450.
I have purchased cooler master Bronze V2 450 PSU 80 plus with 5 years warranty. However, the packet states DC to DC – in India as far as I know we use AC power for homes. So is DC to DC power compatible with normal computer in India- or is DC to DC has to something to do with internal working of the PSU.
Kindly clarify.
DC to DC is for internal mechanism.
Cooler Master V2 450 PSU has a power cord which has a large 16VA 3-pin plug. This 3 pin plug is not fitting in the UPS power point.
Would it harm my computer if I use the normal power cord having a 5 VA 3-pin plug? Or is use of the Cooler Master power cord crucial for protecting my systems.
Kindly help with your opinion.
What power cord are you referring to?
I am referring to the power cord that connects SMPS to UPS.
It is a 3-pin 6A power cord.
Sir, i want to build a pc for official video editing work. Could you suggest me specifications with in 50k-60k without monitor.
Here is the configuration:
Intel Core i5-11400 Processor
ASUS TUF Gaming B560M-PLUS Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR4 RAM (8×2) 3000MHz
Corsair CV450 PSU
Samsung 980 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD
Seagate Baracuda 1TB HDD
Corsair 110R Mid-Tower ATX Case
Sir is specifications mein toh graphic card toh include hi nhi hai….
Because a decent graphics card can extend the budget to a further 18000 to 20000 and for video editing, CPU is more important in the majority of video editing software.
Sir, Please give a graphic card suggestion for future reference….
Please specify the budget for the graphics card.
Arounnd 20-25k
I would suggest GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER.
Thank you very much sir it was great help….
Hey akshat I have a gigabyte ga h81 ms motherboard with 16 gigs and an i7 4770 works fine but I recently bought a working Radeon R9 390 8 gnu ddr5 as soon as I plug it in there’s no display sometimes though I hear the windows startup sound but there’s no display it works fine without gpu when I plug it in the board also I got a vga to hdmi converter for it to be connected with my monitor please help me I wanna play with my friends
What PSU (brand & model) are you using?
It’s a 750w psu of some well known brand I don’t remember now I’m outside
Corsair! It’s corsair
I really don’t wanna lose this to the psu because I got such a deal for a 750w but somewhere I feel it’s the psu only because when I just plug in the pcie with plugging the card in the board…at least the gpu fans should start spinning just by the sheer voltage that comes from the psu but whatsoever the fans don’t spin but when I plug it in the board itself the led light in the gpu lits up so i am hoping it’s not the psu…is there a way for it to be my motherboard’s problem for being a little old for the gpu?
The only way to check this is by plugging another graphics card.
My card is fine I checked it like 3 days ago when I got the card I checked it on my friends pc who lives far from the city how to I specify that is it the motherboard or the power supply
If you have a multimeter then you can use that to check PSU 8-pin PCIe connector. If it is reading 12V then most likely the issue is with the motherboard.
Ok so huge update I already did what you just said I got to my gpu dealer from where I bought the gpu, he used multimeter checked everything on the psu and also connected his own psu and it’s all perfect but then again my gpu has no display and the fans are not spinning either he’s saying that I caused the gpu to die and refused to give a refund but how is it possible when I got it we did a whole benchmark test and it was running fine the moment I got it to my place which took 40 minutes and I was careful while handling it…connected it to the pc and there’s the same problem no display no spins the only mistake I think I did was when I first connected it I only plugged in the 6 pin pcie however it takes 6 pin and a 6+2 pin pcie I realised that and did it the next hour only but there’s the same issue does that really causes the gpu to die and is my gpu really dead I mean the led is on however no display and no spins please help I am getting anxiety by thinking I wasted money on a gpu that came out dead
But you also said that your graphics card is working fine in our friend’s PC.
I meant in the person from whom I got the gpu in that pc it was working at the time I got it but now he’s also checking the same gpu in the same system and it’s showing the same error…actually I was confident at the Time that there would be nothing wrong with the gpu i mean I have had a lot of gpu’s they were durable and didn’t malfunction without a serious reason like heavy collision or buildup moisture etc there’s no way the card got to me which took 40 minutes and suddenly it’s dead
Hi this is Arjun From Rourkela, Odisha
i am using MSI b600 – A Motherboard which cpu have 10 pin
which smps i use and i am also using 6650 graphics card
Please specify the complete motherboard model.
My motherboard model is
MSI B600-A
Total pin 24 pin and 10 pin
Plz tell me which smps will work
Actually i had try ant sport 500w but there was only 8 CPU pin but i need 10 CPU pin
You mean MSI B660-A. It comes 8+4-pin CPU connector, not 10-pin. Check at https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B660-A-DDR4
Yeah Akshat Sir you are right
But Sir PLz tell me na which smps i use for this mother board
Akshat Sir i had try ant sport 500 but in this smps there are only 8 cpu pin but i need 12 pin
which smps i have to try
Only 8-pin is enough for most systems unless you have a flagship processor and doing extreme overclocking.
Hey please help I wanna know is 400watt any eSports power supply good? I mean it’s 12v rail and build qaulity is it good? Cause I saw some reviews they said stopped working after 2 weeks or so and does their service is also bad? Please answer can I trust this brand?
I mean. Ant eSports vs400
And If not then recommend me some good power supply on low budget about 1500rs my pc configuration is my computer specs are
I3 10100f,
Currently using 710 might upgrade to 1050ti
Ram 8gb upgrade to 16gb or 24 gb
Micro ATX motherboard h410m-b msi
Storage 1 sata right now maybe 2 in future of 512gb ssd and might be m.2 nvme in future
Should ant eSports vs400 is enough iam not a heavy gamer nor heavy editor just office work and games like gta 5 and far cry nothing more and answer can i go with zebronics gold 450 watt or recommend me any good power supply
It is the best you can get in this budget.
And about the quality? Is it good for long run?
Better than the Zebronics and iball crap. Also, better go for the Ant Esports VS450L if you want PCIe power connector for the graphics card.
Hi I’m using intel Pentium e5400 process on mercury ME31GZ motherboard with 4gb ddr2 ram and wd harddisk (320 gb) my smps stopped working which was CIL Odyssey 450w please suggest me alternate smps.
I would suggest Ant Esports VS450L Value Series Power Supply. It is available on amazon.
Ok thank you for your suggestion I have ordered it.
Can you also advice me for better processor which I can use with this motherboard (mercury ME31GZ) or suggest me if i have to change motherboard also?
You can get Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E8400, but the difference in performance won’t be huge. So, it is better to keep the current processor.
I want to upgrade my pc can you suggest me better options.
What is your budget and which components do you want to upgrade?
my budget is around 15k. Processor, motherboard and ram
I would suggest:
AMD Ryzen 3 3200G with Radeon Vega 8 Graphics (4 Cores and 4 Threads) Processor
MSI MSI B450M-A PRO MAX Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
ok thank you for your support. Is this psu (Ant Esports VS450L) which you have suggested me is enough for this system?
Yes, it will be enough.