A cable that converts from molex connectors to regular AC outlet?

D

dotman1989

New Member
I am looking for a cable that converts molex connectors(the computer case power connectors I believe) to regular AC outlets. I am not building a computer but I just need to use computer case fans because they're efficient, small, and silent. Is there such a cable or do I need a power supply just to use those fans? Is there another option?
 
A cheap PSU will do the job, but I wouldn't get that one. In order to turn on a PSU without a motherboard you'll need to short the green wire on the ATX main with any black wire. The easiest way to do this is to leave it permanently shorted and use the switch on the back of the PSU to turn it on or off. From that perspective, you're better off to get a PSU with a hard on/off switch on the back.

If you do go with the adapter I mentioned you can use a molex splitter such as http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189002 to attach more fans. The fans you've mentioned are rated for a maximum current draw of 0.45A (that's quite a bit in terms of fans), and the adapter I linked to should be rated for ~2A, meaning that you could easily split off and use up to 4 of those fans on the adaptor.

Lastly, the fans you've linked to will work with just the 4 pin connector from the PSU or adaptor, they don't need to be plugged into the motherboard.
 
Thank you for the reply....

I am thinking of just getting everything off New egg. I am looking for several fans to pump alot of air. Do you know which ones are the most efficient and make the least amount of noise? I don't care about how many fans I need to use but I need it to be very quiet and be efficient. I think I might like this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185020).

And can you please tell me which power supply has a "hard on switch"? Which one you recommend for a low price?

I really appreciate the help, thank you very much so far.
 
I've deleted your other thread - best to keep it all together here. If you're not getting a response, please just bump the current thread rather than starting a new one.

What I meant about the switch was a switch on the back that will turn the PSU completely on or off, since you probably don't want to go to the effort of wiring up a power switch, and just pulling it out of the wall isn't the best solution.

There's no real need to worry about the quality of a PSU or its output capacity for the sort of thing you're looking for, so I'd be inclined to go with about the cheapest one that meets your needs. Something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170018 would be good since the 120mm fan would be quieter than the smaller 80mm fans found in most PSUs.

One other thing to consider - you may need to put some sort of 5V load on the PSU for it to work properly.
 
ceewi1 said:
I've deleted your other thread - best to keep it all together here. If you're not getting a response, please just bump the current thread rather than starting a new one.

What I meant about the switch was a switch on the back that will turn the PSU completely on or off, since you probably don't want to go to the effort of wiring up a power switch, and just pulling it out of the wall isn't the best solution.

There's no real need to worry about the quality of a PSU or its output capacity for the sort of thing you're looking for, so I'd be inclined to go with about the cheapest one that meets your needs. Something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170018 would be good since the 120mm fan would be quieter than the smaller 80mm fans found in most PSUs.

One other thing to consider - you may need to put some sort of 5V load on the PSU for it to work properly.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply,

What is "5V load"? I am sorry for my noobness but please explain things out as you would to a little child.:D.
 
That's fine. By 5V load I mean something that draws power from the 5V rail, such as hard drives, etc... It will probably work without it, but some PSUs do have problems.
 
Thanks for the help. I ordered the power supply you mentioned and the two fans. I'll post back up in thread to tell how it came out.
 
I just got it but I don't know how to turn on the power supply without the PSU being connected to a power supply. Can you help me?
 
You need to connect the green wire on the 24 pin ATX main cable with any black wire, e.g.
psu_test_jumper.jpg
.

You can either use a wire or paperclip to do this, or you can cut the wires and twist them together, or you can buy a little adapter which plugs onto the connector and does it for you, for example, http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186&products_id=3163. There's a simpler version that just stays on, but I can't seem to find a link at the moment.
 
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