I have a Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 850w PSU and must supply power from the molex cable.
I have a Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 850w PSU and must supply power from the molex cable.
I purchased a Nollie 16 channel RGB controller running on two Molex connectors. I am concerned that drawing power from a single daisy chained cable might be too much. My fans and LED strips currently draw about 25 watts, and I may add longer or more LED strips later. My existing configuration uses two controllers powered off via one daisy chained cable.
Using AI for something: Molex connectors usually handle both 12V and 5V, with each voltage line capped at 11A. That means 132 watts for the 12V fans and 55 watts for the argb strips. If you trust AI.
The Molex connector can handle higher current than most setups allow because of the wiring used. The recommended wiring should be 18AWG, which I wouldn't attempt to run 11 amps through. Regarding the question, it should work fine. It seems the controller doesn't change power inputs, so fans should operate at 12V and RGB at 5V. Even with a conservative estimate of 5A maximum, that would be 60W per cable for 12V and 25W per cable for 5V, and since the controller uses two cables, it remains within safe limits.
I've reviewed several tables and noticed varying maximum current ratings for 18AWG.
One table lists 16A for "chassis wiring" (which appears unusually high):
https://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm
Another source indicates 9.5A for single core and lower currents when wires are grouped closely (as in multicore cable):
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wire-...d_419.html
The same information is repeated on the Engineering Toolbox site:
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wire-...d_419.html
Additionally, a previous note mentions derating cables to 50% of manufacturer limits and assuming room temperatures up to +55°C if an ACU fails. Wire temperatures in tight spaces can increase further.
18AWG measures only 0.8mm², nearly matching the 0.75mm² rating for a 318-Y mains cable, which supports up to 6A (AC).
According to @thestryker, I recommend exercising caution with inexpensive Molex connectors and consider 5A per wire (12V and 5V) as a sensible choice. For higher power needs, opt for a different cable or invest in a more robust PSU with additional connections.
I might have been vague about my fans in my previous post. The Nollie controller is designed for RGB only, so when I mentioned fans I was referring to the power requirements for the RGB lights, which means only 5v would be used. I don't believe it's a low-cost PSU; it has an A-tier rating on the PSU list. It came with just one Molex cable, which is typical since this isn't a standard setup.
Yes, there are four Molex 4-pin connectors on the cable. I didn't want to overload it because the power is shared among all four connectors. I plan to check a few random PSUs to verify the pinout and proceed. I've struggled to locate extra cable for my PSU.