20 pin work for 24 pin mobo?

[tydalwave]

hello, im sure there was a previous topic on this but i did not see it.
i have a 20 pin power supply and just purchased an MSI 975x mobo that has a 24 pin connector on it. Can i use the 20 pin power supply connector on the 24 pin slot? If so, any downsides etc? Thank you in advance

 

[Gamer_Kid]

As far as I know you cant.

 

[mike99]

YES, or you can buy an adapter. Do check PSU is upto the job required.
Mike.

 

[tydalwave]

It's funny how the 20 pin will fit in the 24 pin connector. They should have made it with different keys or something so its not so confusing. Im continuing my search online to see what i can find out. Thanks again

 

[TSIMonster]

No, get an updated PSU... sry as far as I know, you can't without an adapter. It would just be better to get a new PSU unless the one you have is super nice.

 

[tydalwave]

I did some searching etc. Found this if anyone is interested...


All new motherboards for Intel CPUs support both 20 and 24 pin connectors. The following is quoted from an Intel motherboard specification, but should be universal:

Intel Desktop Board D915PCY/D915PCM Technical Product Specification (page 66)

2.8.2.2 Power Supply Connectors

The board has three power supply connectors:

• Main power – a 2 x 12 connector. This connector is compatible with 2 x 10 connectors previously used on Intel Desktop boards. The board supports the use of ATX12V power supplies with either 2 x 10 or 2 x 12 main power cables. When using a power supply with a 2 x 10 main power cable, attach that cable on the rightmost pins of the main power connector, leaving pins 11, 12, 23, and 24 unconnected.

 

[Mondoman]

Yes, the four "new" pins are just duplicates of some of the others in order to provide the higher total current that most modern MBs require.
While it is *possible* to use your old PS, chances are good that it can't supply enough current at one or more voltages for your new MB, unless you are running a low-power CPU, low-power graphics board, etc.

 

[XgoDoT]

well first of all the answer to the topic question is YES...

Just be sure to check your PSU to make sure it has enough amps to power your system. If you plan to go with a good mid range video card then i would suggest getting a new PSU. Chances are the old one won't be able to run the system with a good video card.

this statement is half true... because I am using my old PSU (465W with 20pins) with my new 24 pin pci-e board and my new graphics card is a X1900 XT...(quite power hungry)

the only thing that matters is that your 20pin PSU has enough power...

YES, or you can buy an adapter

Buying an adapter is just a waste of money, because the 20 pin PSU connector fits into the 24 pin board connector... usually it fits into the upper part of the 24 pin connector on board.. you can not make a mistake about the sides, because it only gets in one side

So... just check your PSU power specs and if its enough (anything above 400W will do) than go ahead and use it... if you have a PSU lower than 400W its really time to get a new one not to risk your pc components

 

[tydalwave]

I have a 500 watt older psu. that should be suffice...but i tried it last night, and no power what so ever. So im on my way today to PC World in bury st. edmunds to pick one up for an overpriced amound ( england sucks ) anywho, thank you all for your input

 

[minim3]

I have a 500w psu and was wondering the same thing. I was going to buy the adaptor thing, but I guess I'll try without it first! Thanx for the info!

 

[maury73]

Yes you can, even without an adapter.
I have an Asus A8N that comes with the 24pin connector, while my very old PSU has only 20pin.
I plugged the connector right aligned, leaving out the extra 4pin and all works without problems since over a year.

You can experience problems only if your setup requires tons of power, because 20pin PSUs provide less power compared to new 24pin ones, but you can safely try before throwing your old PSU out of the window 🙂

 

[Mondoman]

Just a note for those who are judging PSs based on total wattage: the problem with modern setups is that they require a lot of power, and most of the "extra" power they require is +12V. Cheaper/unscrupulous makers sell "450w" PS w/only 14A @+12V, while better-quality makers sell "450w" PS w/ 18A+18A @+12V.
Bottom line: you can't judge a PS by the overall wattage -- you need to get its +12V rating(s).

(Edited to take into account Maury's info)

 

[maury73]

The extra pins are +12V and GND, so speaking of wattage in this case is equivalent.
And as I said in another post it's exactly the contrary: providing 50W @3.3V is far more complicated and expensive than providing the same power @12V.