What are the Molex cables used for?

[bosssy]

Hello. What are the Molex cables used for? Where do you put them in the motherboard and what they are exactly doing?

 

[chemiguelito.miguelangel]

You dont put them nowhere, they are for periferials, usually but not limited to case fans.

 

[madmatt30]

Barely anything uses molex nowadays , older ide based hard & optical drives (long defunct now) used them for power , sata drives use the newer smaller sata power plug instead

They're on psu's as a legacy option pretty much now, handy for non motherboard powered case fans & a few addon pci express cards (usb 3 adapters & card readers may use them)

 

[smorizio]

the only time i seen them uses now is for low end case fan controllers and led strips. or people running case fans at 100 percent all of the time from there power supply.

 

[bosssy]

Could you explain where you put them? When do you need them?

 

[madmatt30]

You need them when you've got something that runs on molex.

Unless you have addon cards , molex powered case fans , or les lights that require a molex you don't need them plugged into anything - just fold them out of the way.

 

[CountMike]

Molex is company making all kinds of connectors for computer and electric/electronics https://www.molex.com/molex/home
Most of PC connectors are made by them. SATA power connector is also "Molex".

 

[madmatt30]

Molex is company making all kinds of connectors for computer and electric/electronics https://www.molex.com/molex/home
Most of PC connectors are made by them. SATA power connector is also "Molex".

True but I can only think that is going to confuse the OP tremendously

It was never patented as a technology therefore ended up as a generic term for the 4 pin standard.