Hi guys,
I finally received the last 3 components for my new (and 1st time ever) build and I'm stuck at the cables connecting part.
Actually, I didn't mount the MoBo and components into the case yet, I only placed the MoBo onto its box and inserted the CPU, GPU, RAM sticks and M.2 SSD because I saw in a few YT videos that you need to do this before putting everything into the case, to test that it works.
Well, not that I know what exactly to test, but even so, I would like to power up the MoBo to check if it POSTs and let me enter UEFI to have a look around. But the problem is that I'm looking at the PSU and don't know what to do with the cables...
I already connected the 24-pin power cable onto the MoBo, that part was easy (although I still don't understand why my PSU has 23 pins instead of 24 like it's being mentioned almost everywhere)
So, I connected the 24-pin cable to the MoBo because that was the only connector of that size that I have and the only slot of that size on the MoBo so there was no chance for me getting this wrong 😀
But at the other end of this 24-pin cable there are 2 connectors which - apparently - can't be inserted simultaneously into the PSU... at least not without forcing the crap out of these connectors while risking to brake a wire or something.
The 2 connectors at this other end of the 24-pin cable have 18 and 10 pins, respectively, and while both of these connectors have their slots onto the PSU, I have absolutely no clue whether I should connect just one of them (and if yes, which one?) or brute-force both of them into their respective slots. Here's a screenshot of all of the available slots on my PSU:
So anyway, can you please tell me how to connect all of these cables in this initial phase so that I can successfully power up the MoBo and check if everything works?
Also, since I'm already on this topic (of checking whether stuff works), should I update the BIOS to the latest version before installing the OS and everything else (games, programs, media, etc), or should I roll with the current version of the BIOS if everything works?
My build...
Motherboard... AsRock B500M Steel Legend
CPU... Ryzen 5 5600
GPU... XFX Radeon RX 570 RS
RAM... G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2x16GB) DDR4, 3200 MHz, CL 16
M.2 SSD... WD Black SN750 SE, 500 GB, PCIe 4.0
HDD... HGST something, 4TB, 7200 RPM (I don't know the cache though, but it's either 128 or 256 MB)
2x Fans (140 mm)... Scythe Kaze Flex Square ARGB PWM (300-1800 RPM) - both will be mounted on the front panel and will act as intake
3x Fans (120 mm)... Arctic AC P12 ARGB PWM PST - 2 of them mounted in the ceiling of the case, 1 at the rear, all 3 of them as exhaust
PSU... MSI MAG A750GL, 80+ Gold
Case... Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Black (yes, I have purposely gone for a mATX build, should this matter)
Please let me know how to connect those cables because I'm scared [vulgarity redacted] that I might power up the MoBo and see a shortcircuit popping up somewhere and I've saved this money for nearly 2 years to buy these components and I'm literally depleted of finances, I can't even afford $3 thermal paste if you believe me, which I might need anyway since I've accidentally dragged my finger over the CPU's cooler and my fingerprint got imprinted into 1/4th of the square area and I can see the cooler's plate... but anyway, that's not the problem. The problem (which I'd like to avoid) is frying my MoBo (or any other component actually) because of a misplaced cable or something, so please let me know how to handle the connectors...
By the way, I don't think that what MSI are saying on the page of their PSU is accurate because they brag about 16-pin yellow connectors but the only yellow connectors that this PSU has are 12-pin, not 16. So, I'm even more confused what I need to do with each connector now...
I finally received the last 3 components for my new (and 1st time ever) build and I'm stuck at the cables connecting part.
Actually, I didn't mount the MoBo and components into the case yet, I only placed the MoBo onto its box and inserted the CPU, GPU, RAM sticks and M.2 SSD because I saw in a few YT videos that you need to do this before putting everything into the case, to test that it works.
Well, not that I know what exactly to test, but even so, I would like to power up the MoBo to check if it POSTs and let me enter UEFI to have a look around. But the problem is that I'm looking at the PSU and don't know what to do with the cables...
I already connected the 24-pin power cable onto the MoBo, that part was easy (although I still don't understand why my PSU has 23 pins instead of 24 like it's being mentioned almost everywhere)
So, I connected the 24-pin cable to the MoBo because that was the only connector of that size that I have and the only slot of that size on the MoBo so there was no chance for me getting this wrong 😀
But at the other end of this 24-pin cable there are 2 connectors which - apparently - can't be inserted simultaneously into the PSU... at least not without forcing the crap out of these connectors while risking to brake a wire or something.
The 2 connectors at this other end of the 24-pin cable have 18 and 10 pins, respectively, and while both of these connectors have their slots onto the PSU, I have absolutely no clue whether I should connect just one of them (and if yes, which one?) or brute-force both of them into their respective slots. Here's a screenshot of all of the available slots on my PSU:

So anyway, can you please tell me how to connect all of these cables in this initial phase so that I can successfully power up the MoBo and check if everything works?
Also, since I'm already on this topic (of checking whether stuff works), should I update the BIOS to the latest version before installing the OS and everything else (games, programs, media, etc), or should I roll with the current version of the BIOS if everything works?
My build...
Motherboard... AsRock B500M Steel Legend
CPU... Ryzen 5 5600
GPU... XFX Radeon RX 570 RS
RAM... G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2x16GB) DDR4, 3200 MHz, CL 16
M.2 SSD... WD Black SN750 SE, 500 GB, PCIe 4.0
HDD... HGST something, 4TB, 7200 RPM (I don't know the cache though, but it's either 128 or 256 MB)
2x Fans (140 mm)... Scythe Kaze Flex Square ARGB PWM (300-1800 RPM) - both will be mounted on the front panel and will act as intake
3x Fans (120 mm)... Arctic AC P12 ARGB PWM PST - 2 of them mounted in the ceiling of the case, 1 at the rear, all 3 of them as exhaust
PSU... MSI MAG A750GL, 80+ Gold
Case... Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Black (yes, I have purposely gone for a mATX build, should this matter)
Please let me know how to connect those cables because I'm scared [vulgarity redacted] that I might power up the MoBo and see a shortcircuit popping up somewhere and I've saved this money for nearly 2 years to buy these components and I'm literally depleted of finances, I can't even afford $3 thermal paste if you believe me, which I might need anyway since I've accidentally dragged my finger over the CPU's cooler and my fingerprint got imprinted into 1/4th of the square area and I can see the cooler's plate... but anyway, that's not the problem. The problem (which I'd like to avoid) is frying my MoBo (or any other component actually) because of a misplaced cable or something, so please let me know how to handle the connectors...
By the way, I don't think that what MSI are saying on the page of their PSU is accurate because they brag about 16-pin yellow connectors but the only yellow connectors that this PSU has are 12-pin, not 16. So, I'm even more confused what I need to do with each connector now...
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