20 vs 24 pin ATX power connectors

Steerpike · Post by **Steerpike** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:07 am

Yikes - nothing is straight forward when configuring a new system! I've narrowed my choices now to two Aopen Pentium M motherboards for my HTPC: AOpen i915GMm-HFS Socket 479 Intel 915G Micro ATX and the AOpen i915Ga-HFS Socket 479 Intel 915G ATX.

The first is Micro-ATX, the second regular ATX. I'm leaning towards the first, as it has slightly better specs for my purposes, but I noticed that the Micro ATX guy has a 24 pin ATX connector, while the ATX has a 20 pin ATX connector ... Am I going to run into issues choosing one vs. the other? I've read through the SPCR articles on PSUs, and all I can determine is, the 24 pin connector is a 'new' feature. Searching the web in general, I see that many PSUs have both 20 and 24 pin connectors, and I also see many adapters out there - so I presume I'll be ok.

Since my chosen case is likely to be the ahanix mce601, which has a 'proprietary' PSU. I can live with that PSU, as long as I can 'convert' 20 to 24 and vice versa!

Thanks!

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:16 am

Steerpike wrote:Yikes - nothing is straight forward when configuring a new system! I've narrowed my choices now to two Aopen Pentium M motherboards for my HTPC: AOpen i915GMm-HFS Socket 479 Intel 915G Micro ATX and the AOpen i915Ga-HFS Socket 479 Intel 915G ATX.

The first is Micro-ATX, the second regular ATX. I'm leaning towards the first, as it has slightly better specs for my purposes, but I noticed that the Micro ATX guy has a 24 pin ATX connector, while the ATX has a 20 pin ATX connector ... Am I going to run into issues choosing one vs. the other? I've read through the SPCR articles on PSUs, and all I can determine is, the 24 pin connector is a 'new' feature. Searching the web in general, I see that many PSUs have both 20 and 24 pin connectors, and I also see many adapters out there - so I presume I'll be ok.

Since my chosen case is likely to be the ahanix mce601, which has a 'proprietary' PSU. I can live with that PSU, as long as I can 'convert' 20 to 24 and vice versa!

Thanks!

NO need to convert the 20 pin to 24 pin. Anandtech has a thread on the forums about this. FWIW my motherboard has a 24pin connector and I am using 20pin psu.

lenny · Post by **lenny** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:28 am

Plug your 20 pin connector into the 24 pin socket, leaving the 4 holes beside the red wire and yellow wire empty.

Crude ASCII graphics:

Code: Select all

      __
XXoooooooooo
XXoooooooooo

Thats the view of the socket on the motherboard. The "_" characters signify the position of the tab / catch on the socket housing. The uppercase X are the holes to leave empty.

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:40 am

lenny wrote:Plug your 20 pin connector into the 24 pin socket, leaving the 4 holes beside the red wire and yellow wire empty.

Crude ASCII graphics:
Code: Select all
      __
XXoooooooooo
XXoooooooooo
Thats the view of the socket on the motherboard. The "_" characters signify the position of the tab / catch on the socket housing. The uppercase X are the holes to leave empty.

Motherboard manual, will probably have similar instructions.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:43 am

You won't be able to plug it in any other way anyway. The way the squared and the D-shaped pins of the plug are arranged prevents you from doing it wrong.

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:53 am

Tibors wrote:You won't be able to plug it in any other way anyway. The way the squared and the D-shaped pins of the plug are arranged prevents you from doing it wrong.

Well it wouldn't be the first time someone forcefully breaks an idiot-proof connector

.

hygge · Post by **hygge** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:26 pm

Will I be able to use an old motherboard (20pin) with a new PSU that has a 24-pin connector?

To be more specific, I have an old box with an ECS K7S5A that I want to quiet down... I plan to buy the Antec P150 and use the included PSU...

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:13 pm

hygge wrote:Will I be able to use an old motherboard (20pin) with a new PSU that has a 24-pin connector?

To be more specific, I have an old box with an ECS K7S5A that I want to quiet down... I plan to buy the Antec P150 and use the included PSU...

At least in this case. Yes you can use Neo HE 430 with your board, the 24-connector in Neo HE is 20+4.

hygge · Post by **hygge** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:09 am

Thanks for the answer!
Maybe this isnt accurate for this thread but; Oterwise, has anyone had problems with the NeoHE and the K7S5A? After been reading here, I see there are alot of compatibility-problems with the P150's PSU and other boards... Or this only the Asus-boards?

Techno Pride · Post by **Techno Pride** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:19 am

you need to make sure your K7S5A mobo has the 4pin square ATX12V connector. That means your motherboard is drawing power from the +12v line to power the processor.

Most K7 mobos don't have that ATX12V connector, meaning the mobo draws power from the +5v line. The NeoHE wasn't built for a high load on the +5v line, as evident from it's paltry +5v line rating.

hygge · Post by **hygge** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:07 pm

"By looking at your motherboard online, it seems like it is an old motherboard and also does not have the 4pin ATX12V connector. Unfortunately, the NeoHE430 that comes in the P150 will not work with your old motherboard."

I got this answer from Don Macagba at Antec's support. Nice response of them, but sorry for me... Maybe I'il go with the Sonata II instead. Is its PSU better you think?

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:30 pm

hygge wrote:"By looking at your motherboard online, it seems like it is an old motherboard and also does not have the 4pin ATX12V connector. Unfortunately, the NeoHE430 that comes in the P150 will not work with your old motherboard."

I got this answer from Don Macagba at Antec's support. Nice response of them, but sorry for me... Maybe I'il go with the Sonata II instead. Is its PSU better you think?

Good thing Techno Pride was around. When I said, you could use the Neo HE, I didn't know about the whole P4-connector issue and that your board didn't have one. Sorry for the wrong advice, luckily no harm done.

hygge · Post by **hygge** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:54 pm

Thanks to SCRP that is

Saved me alot of money. No problem Erssa

You know of any silent (preferbly black) case that works with my setup?

20 vs 24 pin ATX power connectors

20 vs 24 pin ATX power connectors

Re: 20 vs 24 pin ATX power connectors