Question Is it safe to buy any kind of PSU cable extension?

[kyroPC]

Is it safe to buy any kind of PSU cable extension?

 

[turtletarget111]

Yes, power supply cable extensions are perfectly safe to use, provided you buy them from a reputable company. I wouldn't buy from random brands on Amazon; you have to make sure these are high quality because lots of current will be running through them. CableMod and BitFeenix make excellent cables and both are solid choices.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

Well, no. Ideally you should only use the cables that come with your PSU. Otherwise there could be issues. Most manufacturers say this clearly in the manual.

Do people still use them? Yes. Are they safe? I wouldn't take the chance.

Whilst I don't agree with the post above, if you have say, a Corsair RMX850w, and you can get an appropriate cable from Corsair, then yes, it could be done.

 

[turtletarget111]

Hey there,

Well, no. Ideally you should only use the cables that come with your PSU. Otherwise there could be issues. Most manufacturers say this clearly in the manual.

Do people still use them? Yes. Are they safe? I wouldn't take the chance.

Whilst I don't agree with the post above, if you have say, a Corsair RMX850w, and you can get an appropriate cable from Corsair, then yes, it could be done.

I think it's important to note that there can be issues with cable extensions if used improperly. You will want to use the original cables that come with your PSU, and plug your extensions into the ends of those. Some kits plug straight into the PSU, and if you are looking for one of those kits, you will need to ensure it matches with your model of power supply. Assuming you are using regular extensions, there is no way to accidentally plug them in wrong, because the connectors are swapped. Connect your original power supply cables to the PSU, then the extensions, and read the included instructions; they will work just fine. YouTubers like Linus Tech Tips have tons of videos with custom power supply cables.

 

[USAFRet]

Is it safe to buy any kind of PSU cable extension?

Yes, power supply cable extensions are perfectly safe to use, provided you buy them from a reputable company.

Sorry, but no.

It is not universally "perfectly safe".
Especially when we have NO idea of the reasoning behind the question.

There are many many ways to screw this up. Possibly resulting in the release of the magic smoke.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

I think it's important to note that there can be issues with cable extensions if used improperly. You will want to use the original cables that come with your PSU, and plug your extensions into the ends of those. Some kits plug straight into the PSU, and if you are looking for one of those kits, you will need to ensure it matches with your model of power supply. Assuming you are using regular extensions, there is no way to accidentally plug them in wrong, because the connectors are swapped. Connect your original power supply cables to the PSU, then the extensions, and read the included instructions; they will work just fine. YouTubers like Linus Tech Tips has tons of videos with custom power supply cables.

Ill have to agree to disagree with you on this.

As mentioned, it is clearly stated in most manuals the accompany PSU's today. They do not guarantee that your PSU will work as expected, or that may cause some failure if you don't use appropriate cables.

Your warranty is out the window if you go that route.

 

[turtletarget111]

Ill have to agree to disagree with you on this.

As mentioned, it is clearly stated in most manuals the accompany PSU's today. They do not guarantee that your PSU will work as expected, or that may cause some failure if you don't use appropriate cables.

Your warranty is out the window if you go that route.

I respect your opinion. I do not personally use cable extensions myself, because I agree with your point that it is unnecessary risk, but I also know many people have used them with no problems. Be well my friend.

 

[Zerk2012]

Your going to get a bunch of mixed answers to that question.
Just extensions to change the wire color or to extend a cable that doesn't reach.
I use them. Your choice but don't get the cheapest crap made and the shorter the better.

 

[Eximo]

My first cable mod set came with a loose pin. Was pretty easy for me to verify where it was supposed to go and plug it back into the socket and verify with a multimeter. Even high quality products can have manufacturing errors. At the end of the day, just pins and wires, and occasionally capacitors mixed in with soldering or just crimping. Typically made by hand in some factory in China for OEMs and aftermarket cables.

I recall one build where we couldn't get through the BIOS, it would just reboot. Turned out the brand new PSU had a bad SATA/Molex cable crimp, removing it made the system work.

 

[punkncat]

IMO only purchase extensions for fully modular power supplies from (very) reputable sources that replace the stock cabling. A much better option is to purchase a power supply with stock cabling that appeals to your ergonomic desires.

Any time you lengthen cables and introduce additional connectors you have also introduced a new point of failure as well as additional power loss. It is best to avoid this situation, and in particular with high end power hungry hardware for which this seems to be the "thing to do" for aesthetics.

 

[SorryBella]

I agreed with everyone that if it can be helped: buy proper modular cable and modular cable kit that has a longer cable if need be. But if this is going to be a cosmetic addition for a non modular PSU to a mostly stock power build, it would be fine as long as you buy from reputable brands or reputable local cable builder. I personally went with the latter.