[SOLVED] Help finding replacement cables for modular PSU

[jbwheels]

I've got a modular Raidmax RX-850AE, and I need to find a couple replacement cables. I've read that power supply cables aren't necessarily compatible across brands, and I have no wish to replace my graphics card or hard drives. Can anyone help me find a pci-e cable and a SATA/peripheral cable that will work with my PSU? The pci-e cable should be 8 pin male to 6 + 2 or 8-pin male, and the peripheral cable should be 6-pin male to SATA or molex.

Thanks!
jb

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

You either buy cables form the manufacturer or get them from something like cablemod, but you have a Radmax PSU, which is almost reason enough to replace it (the whole PSU) anyway.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It's not that they're "not necessarily compatible across brands". It's that they're "NOT compatible across brands in almost all cases". Even within the same brand, they are OFTEN not compatible from one series to the next or in some cases EVEN WITHIN THE SAME SERIES.


It is all mostly based on what platform a given SPECIFIC MODEL of PSU uses. There are plenty of examples where the same series, but different models, for example the 450-550w models in a given series using a different platform and different cables than the 650-850w models from the same series, which in turn may be completely different from the 1000-1500w models from that series.


If a cable set does not SPECIFICALLY SAY that is IS for THAT exact model of power supply, then don't use it with it. Period.

If you want replacement cables for that Raidmax unit, and it's probably a complete waste of money because there are VERY few Raidmax units that are not complete dumpster fire units, then you need to source them directly from Raidmax or find them used on Ebay. It is very unlikely you will find any aftermarket cable sets available for this unit because it is not a unit anybody would bother sleeving or replacing parts on.


Put the money towards a reliable unit would be a much better way to invest it.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[karpule]

if you have some spare molex ends you can buy adaptors. i have molex to sata and a 2 molex to 1 6 pin adaptor.

YEAH DONT DO THIS

 

[R_1]

you can try RAIDMAX for spare cables or even Andysen the OEM.

Raidmax has a terrible reputation for their units I would suggest for the price of the cables you could get a decent replacement unit.
(newegg has cable sets from 50 -180 dollars, just for the cables - none by Raidmax or Andysen though I checked for you))

do not use Molex adapters for PCIe. they cannot provide the proper current and often melt under load.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

if you have some spare molex ends you can buy adaptors. i have molex to sata and a 2 molex to 1 6 pin adaptor.

No, don't do that. Molex cables aren't meant to handle the power needs of a gaming GPU. They can and will melt and start a fire.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Using molex adapters for PCI connections is a good way to have a very bad day. If a power supply was capable enough, or intended for, use with specific types of numbers of PCIe auxiliary connections, then it would come with it from the start. We see melted and ruined hardware from using those types of adapters on a weekly basis. My advice, don't do it. If that PSU could support what you are trying to do with it, safely, it would have come with those connections to begin with.

 

[jbwheels]

If a power supply was capable enough, or intended for, use with specific types of numbers of PCIe auxiliary connections, then it would come with it from the start... If that PSU could support what you are trying to do with it, safely, it would have come with those connections to begin with.

I'm talking about replacing a modular cable going from the 8-pin pci out on the PSU to the graphics card. There are two outputs that say "pci-e", expressly for this purpose. I'm not trying to hack together some solution, I just need a replacement cable.

I'm disabled now, so I had the PSU put in my box by someone else. My gfx card didn't need extra power and the unused cables have disappeared. I am only missing one peripheral cable, but the pci cable is more critical. I'll have to keep looking -- I'm not ready to replace the entire power supply for lack of a cable.

I'm attaching an image of the PSU showing the connectors. It wasn't hard to find. Did my OP make me sound like such a moron that it wasn't worth Googling?
jb

 

[Darkbreeze]

I wasn't replying to YOU about that. I was replying to the person who RECOMMENDED that you use a molex to PCI adapter.

if you have some spare molex ends you can buy adaptors. i have molex to sata and a 2 molex to 1 6 pin adaptor.

I don't think you are a moron. I think you don't understand the facts of the matter, and the facts of the matter are that in 100% of cases, a replacement SET of cables costs as much OR more than the PSU itself can be purchased for.

For example, the EVGA G2 series power supplies. My G2 750 cost about 89.99, and that was on sale with a 20 dollar rebate. Normally, they were more like 120-130 dollars. Now, there is only ONE way to get an exact replacement set of cables for it and that is through EVGA, much as for pretty much all power supplies the only way to get a replacement set of cables is through whoever the PSU was sold by, EVGA, Seasonic, Corsair, Antec, Rosewill, Super Flower, etc.

In SOME few cases, you OCCASIONALLY can use cables for a different power supply IF YOU KNOW FOR CERTAIN that it uses the exact same platform AND has the same pinout as your different branded unit does. An example of this is the EVGA G2 750 and Super Flower Leadex 750w units. Both use the Super Flower Leadex platform and use the same pinout, therefore, and we know this to be true, both units can use cables from sets that came with the other unit.

The problem is, replacement sets for my G2 cost about 85.00 from EVGA, and that's fracking ridiculous. No way I'm going to pay 85 bucks for a set of cables when I can simply buy another unit for 120 bucks, use the cables I need AND have another power supply ready to go, waiting in the wings, when this one dies. As an example of course.

This holds true for practically every power supply I've tried to find replacement cables for because honestly most often, much as with automobiles, the sum of all parts VASTLY exceeds the cost of the vehicle when purchased as a vehicle rather than as parts.


So the fact is that if you want a replacement set of cables for that unit you will need to contact Raidmax and you can expect to pay nearly as much as that unit cost to begin with. It makes a lot more sense to simply not do that and simply put that money towards a quality power supply which that on is most assuredly NOT. Especially if you are planning to use it with a graphics card that is tiered high enough in terms of performance and price that you need those connectors, you most certainly don't want to be using it with a cheap power supply like that Raidmax Cobra or you are negligently putting your hardware at risk of completely avoidable potential for damage whether immediate or cumulative.

You are very unlikely to have any luck finding just the cable you need for that specific unit, and trying just any old PCI cable, regardless that it has the same number of pins and is keyed the same, is a gigantic improbability and at best is a one eyed, one handed attempt to shoot skeet using a shotgun. IF, IF you are to have any luck finding just that cable for that specific unit, it's going to almost certainly be on Ebay.

You can certainly contact Raidmax though and inquire as to whether they can sell you one, but my almost certain guess is that they will tell you they only sell full sets, if at all. Anything aftermarket available for it, such as sleeved cable sets etc., IF you can even find such a thing for THAT particular unit, will easily exceed the value of the power supply.

 

[jbwheels]

I appreciate the info. Sadly, I could end up spending 10% of my monthly income on a new psu, one I don't want to have to replace in a few years. This one once drove an 8-drive WD-RE RAID 50 array and has outlasted my previous Antec, so if anything I'll sell my gfx card. Thanks for your help.
jb

 

[Darkbreeze]

You can get a very decent power supply for less than you think.

What is the model of the graphics card you are trying to power?

 

[jbwheels]

You can get a very decent power supply for less than you think.

What is the model of the graphics card you are trying to power?

AMD RX 590. I only use it for Pathfinder. FPS games are out of the question because I have limited use of my right hand.
jb

 

[karpule]

I wasn't replying to YOU about that. I was replying to the person who RECOMMENDED that you use a molex to PCI adapter.

whats this about molex? what causes them to overheat/melt? ive never had this problem.

 

[Darkbreeze]

whats this about molex? what causes them to overheat/melt? ive never had this problem.

I fixed your quote for you. You can't type INSIDE the quotes when quoting. LOL.


The problem is, molex adapters are not the problem. The problem is, if a power supply does not ALREADY HAVE the connections you require, then the power supply itself is NOT CAPABLE of safely supplying those voltages or amps, because if it WAS capable of it, the manufacturer would have included the required additional six or eight pin connections. And, as far as a unit like this one goes where it DID have them, but the cables are lost, it is still a problem because the molex cables are not rated for the same level of power delivery as the PCI cables are.

Molex connections are not designed to safely deliver more than 13 amps per circuit with a limitation of 25 watts on the 5v wire and 60 watts on the 12v wire.

PCI 8 pin power cables on the other hand need to be capable of supplying 150w. Clearly, these are distinctly different capabilities. Even using two entirely separate molex cables for one 8 pin PCI express connector gives you only a 120w safe capability, 30w short of where an 8 pin PCI express cable SHOULD be at. And that is where problems again, might come into the mix. Once you exceed 120w, you are likely to overheat and or potentially burn out that adapter or that molex cable, or both. It is not safe, we see them from people who come here having burned them or other things out because of using them, ALL THE TIME, so there is no argument that can be made against them being a bad idea. They are a bad idea, end of story.

http://www.playtool.com/pages/psuconnectors/connectors.html#peripheral

 

[Darkbreeze]

If you should decide to do so, this would be an option.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $69.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-24 12:14 EST-0500



If you choose a Corsair CX unit, choose only from the gray label models. Do not buy a green label Corsair CX under any circumstances other than if it is the only choice available to you or if only even worse models are available. Generally speaking, if you go that route, these are my recommendations.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[jbwheels]

If you should decide to do so, this would be an option.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $69.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-24 12:14 EST-0500



If you choose a Corsair CX unit, choose only from the gray label models. Do not buy a green label Corsair CX under any circumstances other than if it is the only choice available to you or if only even worse models are available. Generally speaking, if you go that route, these are my recommendations.

Thanks for the tip. I think I read that eVGA units were a good choice (don't worry, I wouldn't pull the trigger without sufficient research), and their lineup looked impressive. I entered my requirements, though, and close to a dozen units were returned, with half a dozen at a similar price and few distinguishing factors.

I wouldn't want a psu without a 10-year warranty, because they are attainable, and the fact that a single manufacturer offers different warranties on their units indicates a true difference in quality. The 80 Plus certification is self-explanatory. That still left maybe 4 units at each 80 Plus certification with few discernible differences other than the model lineup -- G1-G5, G+, T & TR I believe, PQ... The G models appear to be named by date of public availability and anything-Q I think were supposed to be higher quality.

I'm just relaying my personal experience without much point though. There is a vast quantity of info in the FAQs, and I need to decide my direction before worrying about a buying decision. The video card issue is primary. I bought the Radeon on a Slickdeals Fire Deal before noticing that my pci cable was missing, so that's how I ended up in this situation.

I can probably recover my investment on eBay. I've considered different nVidia cards, safely within the 120 watt limit you mention, that I can buy for the amount I can sell my RX for. So that's a potential solution with no additional cost. I hate to replace my psu with a unit that limits my expansion opportunities for years to come, and this one -- despite its likely deficiencies -- has performed well for six years. Powering an 8 enterprise-class drive array for a couple years seems to be a significant test it's passed. So my primary challenge at this point seems to be supplying the additional power to the gfx card.

I've seen my model of psu on eBay for about $30 shipped, and I expect I can find one with the pci cable I need. I forgot to mention that I underclocked and undervolted the RX when I first installed it, reducing its power requirement by over a third (I really don't need RX 590-class performance). So between further downgrading my gfx power needs and using the proper cable, I'm really not asking much of this psu.

Sorry for the meandering discussion. I hope I'm not wasting your time -- I'm obviously thinking out loud. Any help you provide will be appreciated as a valuable contribution to my understanding though. Thanks again for your kind help & Merry Christmas.
jb

 

[jbwheels]

I've seen my model of psu on eBay for about $30 shipped, and I expect I can find one with the pci cable I need. I forgot to mention that I underclocked and undervolted the RX when I first installed it, reducing its power requirement by over a third (I really don't need RX 590-class performance). So between further downgrading my gfx power needs and using the proper cable, I'm really not asking much of this psu.

jb

I just checked, and I'm using [(840/1150 mV)sq * .8A] = 43% W, so I've cut its power requirement by over a half. Something to consider.
jb

 

[Darkbreeze]

The only EVGA units you want to bother with are the B2, G2, G3, GQ, P2 and T2 models. Every other model currently sold is either not up to the level of those units or is just plain poor quality or built on a shoddy platform.

Seriously, if you decide to get a PSU, please take a read of my recommended models thread where you can find not only my model recommendations but a fair amount of discussion regarding the merits or lack of them in the resulting discussion after the initial post.

As well, when looking for recommendations or reviews I would highly recommend looking at any reviews done on Tom's hardware or TechPowerUP (Aris Mpitziopoulos aka crmaris) or on JonnyGuru (Oklahoma Wolf) as well, for any model you might be considering.