What does a Molex connector do?

Molex. Molex is the name of the company who develops computer and other related connectors and products. This term is also known as the Molex power connector (pictured), and is what connects your computer power supply to drives and devices inside the computer.

Besides, what uses a Molex connector?

These "Molex" connectors bring DC power to the drives inside a PC case. The large one on the right is used for disk, CD-ROM and DVD drives, while the small connector is used for floppy drives and other devices.

Likewise, what is the Molex connector on a motherboard for? On the motherboard there is a male molex connector. According to the manual, the connector's purpose is to provide an auxiliary power source for the devices added on PCI EXPRESS slots.

Just so, what is a 4 pin Molex connector used for?

Since Molex makes dozens of different connectors, there is no single connector technically called a "Molex connector." However, the term "Molex connector" has become a generic way to describe the Molex 4-pin 8981 power connector used to power hard drives, optical drives, and other storage devices.

What type of device would you connect a Molex cable to?

The Molex connector is a round-shaped connector that used to supply power to Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) drives, optical drives, and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) drives.

37 Related Question Answers Found

What does a Molex connector look like?

In such a connector, cylindrical spring-metal pins fit into cylindrical spring-metal sockets. The pins and sockets are held in a rectangular matrix in a nylon shell. The connector typically has two to 24 contacts and is polarized or keyed to ensure correct orientation.

How many pins are in a typical Molex connector?

The connector typically has 2 to 24 contacts and is polarized or keyed to ensure correct orientation. Pins and sockets can be arranged in any combination in a single housing, and each housing can be either male or female. There are three typical pin sizes: 1.57 mm (0.062 in), 2.13 mm (0.084 in), and 2.36 mm (0.093 in).

Do I need Molex cable?

Molex connectors are necessary when you don't have any 3 pin headers left on your board to connect fans. Then you use molex connectors to connect the fans to your power supply rather than the motherboard.

What voltage is a Molex connector?

12V

What is the 4 pin connector on a hard drive?

SATA

Where is Molex located?

Koch indicated Molex will retain its company name and headquarters in Lisle, Illinois, and be run as a subsidiary.

Why does Molex have two grounds?

There are two of them because each cable can withstand a given current and power, not infinite. If both voltage lines are connected to a single ground wire, that ground wire has to withstand the power and current of both those two voltage lines.

What devices use the 4 pin peripheral Molex connector?

Which of the following devices use the 4-pin peripheral (Molex) connector? Solid state drives and SATA hard disk drives use SATA power connectors. If a CPU needs auxiliary power, it uses either a 4-pin 12 V (P4) connector or an 8-pin EPS12V CPU connector.

How many pins are used in a serial port?

22 pins

What does the 4 pin connector on a motherboard do?

As the motherboard specification says, it's a 4-pin ATX 12V power connection. Pretty much every modern motherboard has a separate 12V power connector that's either a 4-pin or an 8-pin. The primary purpose of this power connector is to power the VRM that supplies power to the CPU.

How many fans can one Molex power?

Admirable. A fan uses somewhere around 2W of power. A molex connector can handle around 5 amps of current at 12 volts for a total of 60W of power. I personally wouldn't try to connect 30 fans to a single 4-pin molex, but you will probably not have any issues overloading a circuit with fans.

What is a 4 pin connector?

The 4 pin power connector cable (12 volt cable) is designed to give extra power support to the motherboard. These two extra 12 volt cables (two yellow, two black) give the motherboard the option of accessing more power (through these cables). They generally help support the CPU but can be used for other things.

Do all PSU have Molex?

Motherboards have no IDE connectors on them no more, and any DVD drives and hard drives you buy all come with SATA power connectors and no more Molex support. And yet any PSU you buy comes with a ton of Molex connectors and usually then as a result not enough SATA power connectors.

What is a 4 pin peripheral connector?

Peripheral Power Cable (4 Pin) A peripheral power cable is used to connect the older IDE hard drives and cd/dvd drives to the power supply. These peripheral power connectors were the original power cables in a computer and were used most commonly for hard drives or cd drives.

What is a SATA connector?

External interface. Optional (eSATA) Serial ATA (SATA, abbreviated from Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives.

What does ATX mean?

ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) is a motherboard and power supply configuration specification developed by Intel in 1995 to improve on previous de facto standards like the AT design.

Are Molex to SATA adapters Safe?

Safe, yes. Usable, not necessarily. A Molex to SATA connector should be fine for most HDDs and DVD Drives but it may not be sufficient for more modern SSDs and BluRay drives. The SATA power connector includes a 3.3 volt rail as well as the traditional 5 volt and 12 volt rails.