I am almost done building my/Skybuck's Super PC for 2023. I am trying to figure out how to write-up this new personal computer.

So far I have documented 21 cables !

The only thing I am currently wondering about is the following:

Should I use a single 6 pin-to-4-sata power connectors to connect two harddisks and the PC Case Fan Controller Board + LCD panel ?!

Or is it smarter/safer to connect the PC Case Fan Controller Board + LCD Panel to it's own SATA power cable ? (There is only one sata power cable coming from this controller board, so I assume the ventilators and LCD are powered by the same sata power cable and not buy the additional usb cables connecting to motherboard ? Though there are also USB and ARGB cables from the controller board to the motherboard ? Should I connect them too ? I assume so ? And I assume that these are maybe only for "control" and not power ?)

Could MSI maybe explain better why USB and ARGB cables to motherboard are necessary to ? At least the ones that seem to be ment for ventilators, but maybe I am just a little bit confused about.

Anyway I also have some feedback about your MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 power supply. While the power supply is MODULAR, the SATA power cables ARE NOT, ironically enough.

So if I only need 1 or 2 sata power cables, there would be 3 and 4 dangling, because each cable comes with 4 sata connectors.

Maybe something to consider for in the future, maybe somehow modular power cables or maybe even some extra to only have 1 or 2 sata power connectors for easier cable management.

However the power supply already came with a huge ammount of cables ! ;)

Anyway thanks for now, I think I can manage it thanks to plenty of space behind in the MSI MEG Prospect 700R case.

In case I don't get an answer, I will probably 99.9% sure use TWO power sata cables, so TWO power ports from the Power Supply ?!

I am curious if this will make the Power Supply work harder, or easier, or if it doesn't matter ?! Which options would delivery the best/smoothest power to the harddisks ?!

I want the harddisk operating as smmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmoooooooooooooooottthhly as possible and have the best possible/stable/smooth power delivery ! ;) =D

Bye for now,
Skybuck.

On 10/18/2023 9:06 AM, Skybuck Flying wrote:
> I am almost done building my/Skybuck's Super PC for 2023. I am trying to figure out how to write-up this new personal computer.
>
> So far I have documented 21 cables !
>
> The only thing I am currently wondering about is the following:
>
> Should I use a single 6 pin-to-4-sata power connectors to connect two harddisks and the PC Case Fan Controller Board + LCD panel ?!
>
> Or is it smarter/safer to connect the PC Case Fan Controller Board + LCD Panel to it's own SATA power cable ? (There is only one sata power cable coming from this controller board, so I assume the ventilators and LCD are powered by the same sata power cable and not buy the additional usb cables connecting to motherboard ? Though there are also USB and ARGB cables from the controller board to the motherboard ? Should I connect them too ? I assume so ? And I assume that these are maybe only for "control" and not power ?)
>
> Could MSI maybe explain better why USB and ARGB cables to motherboard are necessary to ? At least the ones that seem to be ment for ventilators, but maybe I am just a little bit confused about.
>
> Anyway I also have some feedback about your MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 power supply. While the power supply is MODULAR, the SATA power cables ARE NOT, ironically enough.
>
> So if I only need 1 or 2 sata power cables, there would be 3 and 4 dangling, because each cable comes with 4 sata connectors.
>
> Maybe something to consider for in the future, maybe somehow modular power cables or maybe even some extra to only have 1 or 2 sata power connectors for easier cable management.
>
> However the power supply already came with a huge ammount of cables ! ;)
>
> Anyway thanks for now, I think I can manage it thanks to plenty of space behind in the MSI MEG Prospect 700R case.
>
> In case I don't get an answer, I will probably 99.9% sure use TWO power sata cables, so TWO power ports from the Power Supply ?!
>
> I am curious if this will make the Power Supply work harder, or easier, or if it doesn't matter ?! Which options would delivery the best/smoothest power to the harddisks ?!
>
> I want the harddisk operating as smmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmoooooooooooooooottthhly as possible and have the best possible/stable/smooth power delivery ! ;) =D
>
> Bye for now,
> Skybuck.
>

Generally speaking, you do not want too large a total load, on one
multi-connector cable.

Let's just make some numbers up:

1) SATA individual connector - no more than 3 amperes
(Modern hard drives, do not draw that much. Small 1TB drives draw 2A max.
Large 22TB drives draw 1.5A max. And that's during spinup phase, for ten seconds.)

The gold plated contacts on the 15 pin connector, are 1 amp each. There
are five sets of three contacts, so five 3 ampere interfaces. This gives the
connector a practical 3 ampere limit, on +5V and +12V pad sets.

2) The cable leading to the supply, maybe 6 amps or so.
You do not want excessive voltage drop, via chaining SATA extenders.
Old drives, the motor can run down to 11.0V . The new high-capacity
Helium drives, crap out at 11.6V . Modern power supplies are also known
for a more-accurate regulation (cross-load is less of an issue, on a double
forward conversion supply design).

The "toys" cable is unlikely to exceed the cable power limit,
but total up any fan currents you are powering. The very biggest
fan I have here (not in use any more), is 1 ampere. Other practical
fans are 0.1 amps to 0.15 amps or so. If you had four 1 ampere fans,
that would be bad, as the peak current would be 4 amperes from a
3 ampere SATA power connector. Some fan hubs, print the current
draw on the labeling.

On the controller board, the individual connectors used to power things,
those pins are not rated for more than 1 ampere. Eventually, that
little connector gets hot.

Paul