- Aug 4, 2019
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For the sake of argument let's assume 16AWG wire, the biggest wire the connector is rated for.
The documents I am referencing:
Connector: https://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ps/PS-5556-001-001.pdf
Pin: https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/0039000077_CRIMP_TERMINALS.pdf
Hopefully these are the "standard" components here.
For the pin it says the max rating is 9A, 600V.
For the connector it seems more complicated. On Sheet 8, for a given AWG it says that the max amperage depends on the "number of circuits," though I am unsure if this means number of pins carrying current or number of pins present in the connector regardless of their voltages. I assume it's the total.
For 16AWG on an 8-pin it seems to correspond to 7A.
The PCIe8 pin connected to a PSU as far as I know typically has has three pins at 12V, so to me that implies the max is 3 * 7A * 12V = 252W.
Is this correct? Does this imply that even though the pins are capable of higher current, it should not be done in this particular connector? Some other sources I read mention 288W limits by using 8A instead, 3 * 8A * 12V = 288W.
So what in general is the right interpretation here? What's the max power this thing is rated to deliver? (I suppose I am asking in the context of 12V but I am also curious about max in general... the connector itself is also rated for 600V, so maybe if we had four pins ground, four pins at max 7A, that's 28A total at 600V, so 28A * 600V = 16,800W? Though I suppose that's not realistic? Just trying to wrap my head around the various barriers and ranges here).
Furthermore, why is the limit that I often hear 150W? (for instance if you google "pcie 8 pin max power" you see 150W quoted frequently in various forums - not sure if misinformation or if that's correct and I am missing something)
The documents I am referencing:
Connector: https://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ps/PS-5556-001-001.pdf
Pin: https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/0039000077_CRIMP_TERMINALS.pdf
Hopefully these are the "standard" components here.
For the pin it says the max rating is 9A, 600V.
For the connector it seems more complicated. On Sheet 8, for a given AWG it says that the max amperage depends on the "number of circuits," though I am unsure if this means number of pins carrying current or number of pins present in the connector regardless of their voltages. I assume it's the total.
For 16AWG on an 8-pin it seems to correspond to 7A.
The PCIe8 pin connected to a PSU as far as I know typically has has three pins at 12V, so to me that implies the max is 3 * 7A * 12V = 252W.
Is this correct? Does this imply that even though the pins are capable of higher current, it should not be done in this particular connector? Some other sources I read mention 288W limits by using 8A instead, 3 * 8A * 12V = 288W.
So what in general is the right interpretation here? What's the max power this thing is rated to deliver? (I suppose I am asking in the context of 12V but I am also curious about max in general... the connector itself is also rated for 600V, so maybe if we had four pins ground, four pins at max 7A, that's 28A total at 600V, so 28A * 600V = 16,800W? Though I suppose that's not realistic? Just trying to wrap my head around the various barriers and ranges here).
Furthermore, why is the limit that I often hear 150W? (for instance if you google "pcie 8 pin max power" you see 150W quoted frequently in various forums - not sure if misinformation or if that's correct and I am missing something)
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