Question Can a 12V/1.5A USB to SATA adapter power ALL 3.5" HDDs ?

[knowledge2121]

I have an external Seagate backup plus 4tb that has a detachable USB to SATA adapter. It has a 12V/1.5A power adapter.

Can I use the detachable part to power ANY 3.5" HDD ? Is 1.5A enough for any 3.5" HDD ?

 

[lvt]

Yes it's fine for all 3.5" HDD, they usually require appr. 1A

But some SATA DVD writer require up to 2.5A while writing to disc, so be careful if you want to use the same power adapter for DVD writer.

 

[fzabkar]

Make sure the polarity is the same. I believe Seagate's barrel connectors are centre pin positive.

Also, be aware that most 3.5" drives require around 2A on the 12V supply during spin up. That's in addition to the 5V power. The AC adaptor should be rated to handle this temporary "overload".

 

[lvt]

The power consumption detail is written on the HDD.

For reference :

My 120GB HDD from 2002 requires 0.6A for the 5V and 0.9A for the 12V.

My 1TB HDD from 2012 requires 0.55A for the 5V and 0.6A for the 12V.

Apparently the HDD are more and more power efficient.

 

[fzabkar]

Just be aware that the 12V adaptor supplies both the 12V power and 5V power. The 5V supply is generated from the 12V supply via a DC-DC converter on the USB-SATA bridge PCB inside the enclosure.

So the total power requirement is ...

Total power = 5V power + 12V power = (5V x 0.6A) + (12V x 0.9A) = 3W + 10.8W = 13.8W​

The power rating of the AC adaptor is 12V x 1.5A = 18W.

 

[lvt]

Just be aware that the 12V adaptor supplies both the 12V power and 5V power. The 5V supply is generated from the 12V supply via a DC-DC converter on the USB-SATA bridge PCB inside the enclosure.

So the total power requirement is ...

Total power = 5V power + 12V power = (5V x 0.6A) + (12V x 0.9A) = 3W + 10.8W = 13.8W​

The power rating of the AC adaptor is 12V x 1.5A = 18W.

On modern HDDs the power consumption is usually less than 10W, so I guess that the AC adapter will remain cool.