[SOLVED] SATA power plug question

[SCDetonator]

Hello, I have an old (from 2011) western digital blue caviar 500gb HDD pulled from a PC that recently died, and I intend to put it in a new model, but I'm concerned that the SATA socket on the drive won't be compatible with the new PSU. I've tried connecting this drive to a cooler master 500w, but the plug simply didn't fit when every source reassured that they're backward compatible.

What gives? Am I a ham handed idiot or is there a missing factor?

 

[boju]

Sata data cable or power? Data cables haven't changed. Newer drives use sata power instead of the old molex type. If your psu has sata power connectors, a new drive should fit without issue.

 

[SCDetonator]

Sata data cable or power? Data cables haven't changed. Newer drives use sata power instead of the old molex type. If your psu has sata power connectors, a new drive should fit without issue.

Power. Here's an image of the connector I know fits for reference. it's an old-ish HDD made in 2011 that isn't compatible with a modern PSU.

 

[boju]

If your psu doesn't have sata connectors, a molex to sata is possible but be careful which cable you get.

Question - Molex to Sata power adapter safe?

Is something like this safe for hard drive and other components?

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[SCDetonator]

If your psu doesn't have sata connectors, a molex to sata is possible but be careful which cable you get.

Question - Molex to Sata power adapter safe?

Is something like this safe for hard drive and other components?

forums.tomshardware.com

That's all well and good, but what about the picture of the connector? Doesn't look like molex to me

 

[Nemesia]

Power. Here's an image of the connector I know fits for reference. it's an old-ish HDD made in 2011 that isn't compatible with a modern PSU.

On your Western Digital Blue 500GB you have 3 connectors. The one to the left is the SATA power connector. The one in the middle is the SATA Data cable and the one at the right is a PDATA molex connector. You plug any modern PSU SATA power cable in the SATA power connector to the left and it should fit or you can use a molex power connector to the PDATA. One or the other but not both at the same time.

SATA ports are L shaped on the side. You have a straight line and a small corner. Molex is just pins.

 

[boju]

That's all well and good, but what about the picture of the connector? Doesn't look like molex to me

Sorry, that wasn't a reply to your post with picture. I missed it because we posted at the same time.

@Nemesia explained it anyhow.

 

[SCDetonator]

On your Western Digital Blue 500GB you have 3 connectors. The one to the left is the SATA power connector. The one in the middle is the SATA Data cable and the one at the right is a PDATA molex connector. You plug any modern PSU SATA power cable in the SATA power connector to the left and it should fit or you can use a molex power connector to the PDATA. One or the other but not both at the same time.

SATA ports are L shaped on the side. You have a straight line and a small corner. Molex is just pins.

I see. But this raises a conundrum, I did try to connect it to a modern PSU with SATA connectors, but I swear to you, it didn't fit. Tried it both ways but it wouldn't smoothly slide all the way on.

 

[Nemesia]

I see. But this raises a conundrum, I did try to connect it to a modern PSU with SATA connectors, but I swear to you, it didn't fit. Tried it both ways but it wouldn't smoothly slide all the way on.

Can you take a picture of the hard drive connectors and the cable you took a picture of but so we can see the connectors and not just the side of it?

 

[SCDetonator]

Can you take a picture of the hard drive connectors and the cable you took a picture of but so we can see the connectors and not just the side of it?

 

[boju]

Quite dark but can make it out. The cable fits into the very bottom connector on the drive. Match the L shape.

 

[SCDetonator]

Quite dark but can make it out. The cable fits into the very bottom connector on the drive. Match the L shape.

So most likely, I was just being a dumbdumb?

 

[boju]

So most likely, I was just being a dumbdumb?

I wouldn't say it like that lol. No question is dumb.

Watch from 45 seconds

 

[SCDetonator]

I wouldn't say it like that lol. No question is dumb.

Watch from 45 seconds

Thanks for the help, it's cleared things up.

 

[boju]

Your welcome