Testing SATA power connectors

[willowen100]

Hi everyone

I've just received my new Corsair 760T case and the PSU sits on the bottom unlike previous cases I've had in the past. The problem is that I've had the flip all of the SATA connectors around and they weren't easy to put back on the cable. What I'm asking is, is there a way to test all 5 wires on each of the SATA connectors are working before I plug my HDD's in so I don't risk killing something. So far I've tested my DVD-RW drive and the two 14cm fans included with the case that run off a single SATA connector.

Many thanks

Will

 

[GhislainG]

Why? They are keyed and can only be inserted the correct way.

 

[willowen100]

The way the SATA connectors were positioned it would be impossible to daisy chain the HDDs together. Each SATA port is made up of 5 wires and to make sure that each of those 5 wires are connected to the SATA connector properly before I go and plug my HDD's in, I would like to test them. Is there a way I could do this?

 

[GhislainG]

Other than connecting a HDD or SSD to each one, there isn't much else that you can do.

 

[willowen100]

I am definitely confident that the wires are the correct way round, but will it do any harm if not all 5 wires are connected?

 

[GhislainG]

You wrote "The problem is that I've had the flip all of the SATA connectors around and they weren't easy to put back on the cable." and I sure hope that I understand what you did. How did you flip the connectors while keeping the same wire on the same pin? If the wires are switched, then the drives either won't work or they'll be damaged. Don't you think that buying a new PSU that met the requirements would have been easier?

After flipping them around, you still have connections that match http://pcsupport.about.com/od/insidethepc/a/sata-pinout-15-pin-psu.htm?

 

[willowen100]

You wrote "The problem is that I've had the flip all of the SATA connectors around and they weren't easy to put back on the cable." and I sure hope that I understand what you did. How did you flip the connectors while keeping the same wire on the same pin? If the wires are switched, then the drives either won't work or they'll be damaged. Don't you think that buying a new PSU that met the requirements would have been easier?

After flipping them around, you still have connections that match http://pcsupport.about.com/od/insidethepc/a/sata-pinout-15-pin-psu.htm?

I simply flipped the connector horizontally making the connectors along the daisy chain SATA power cable upside down.

My PSU worked perfectly in top mounted cases and you could easily daisy chain one HDD to the next. However, now that I've got a new case with a bottom mounted PSU, the SATA power cable is daisy chaining all of the HDDs upside down, hence why I've flipped them so they're the right way up.

This is the forum post that I went off.

"It's important to note which cable is on the notched side of the connector, and to keep that wires (color) at that connector. So instead of just turning it right side up, you actually put the plug on the other side of the cable, keeping the colorsed wires in the same pin location."

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/321534-28-sata-cables-upside

 

[GhislainG]

As long as each wire still is connected to its original pin, then you're fine. To test them, connect a HDD to the first connector and make sure it's detected in the BIOS. Repeat the procedure for each additional connector.