Have an optiplex 780 and gets hot. Need to add a fan on cover. No extra molex connectors. Is it safe to split the sata connect

[smarschany]

I recently bought a used dell OptiPlex 780 and gets quite hot. Need to add a fan on the cover but I see there are no extra molex connectors on this unit. Now would it be safe to split the sata connector and chose the yellow for 12 volts (fan is 12 volts)? Also adding smaller fans on the exhaust end that have 5 volts. Connect them to the red? By splitting the sata connectors, would that affect the hard drive or the optical drive?
Thanks.

 

[Kisianik]

What about splitting DVD drive power (DVD drive not always in use like HDD), you just need 1 Molex split to 2 Molexes, maybe some extention with Molex on one side and 3 pin connector on the other. I was splitting HDD power for 2 HDDs, your power supply has some extra power for this, if that what you ask.

By the way, is fan in front of CPU shroud working? It suppose to push air from the front, through the shroud to the back, some very smart uneducated users reversed fans and burned their motherboards, just so you know.

 

[smarschany]

Thank you for the info. The power supply that came with this unit has no molex. So if I split it will have to be with the DVD drive. Like I said, I have one 120mm fan (12 volt) on the cover and three 25mm fans (5 volt) on the exhaust end. Need to rearrange wires to accommodate the fans per voltage. The red wires are 5 vlt and the yellow are 12 vlt, correct? Front fan has not been touched, it originally came like that for a reason.

 

[Kisianik]

Why you worry about color of wires, just get 3 splitters and a few extensions - you will have to split power from HDD as well, probably to small fans, leave DVD to large 120 mm fan. This need to be done to equalize load on PSU.

 

[smarschany]

Why you worry about color of wires, just get 3 splitters and a few extensions - you will have to split power from HDD as well, probably to small fans, leave DVD to large 120 mm fan. This need to be done to equalize load on PSU.

 

[smarschany]

The thing is the large fan is 12vt and the small ones are 5vt. That is why I mentioned what color to use for power.

 

[Kisianik]

Can you provide exact model of your power supply - open side panel and check. I want to see voltage diagram just in case.
Also, get you processor model, not just a speed. I need something like Q6600 not Quad 2.4GHz (Q6600 parameter), also take a look at you processor heatsink, is it completely white (aluminum) or you see yellow parts (copper, which is better), also aluminum plates are usually vertical and copper are horizontal to motherboard.
I am wondering why it is hot.

P.S. Have you cleaned CPU heatsink with compressed air?
P.S.#2. Why you think it is hot?

 

[smarschany]

Sorry for the delay, was away for a while.
The power supply is a 255 watt, could not get to the processor, need to take everything apart. heatsink is completely white aluminum and completely clean.
Will add a fan to the side panel and see what happens.

 

[Kisianik]

Aluminum come usually with lesser power CPU like dual core or similar.
Enhancing cooler is to look for copper cooler, which is a headache. What could happened is bad thermal paste?!
You did not answer - why you think it is hot?
Also, check front fan, is it working fast?

 

[Kisianik]

Sorry for double posting - my iPhone is too old for this.
Please provide exact model of your power supply - as stated on the label on PSU
I need to see how power is split up between wires/connectors, actually it states on that label, but it will take a lot of guessing for me to find out this without model abbreviation.