F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop What is the highest number of 3.5-inch SATA drives that my power supply can handle safely with one cable?

What is the highest number of 3.5-inch SATA drives that my power supply can handle safely with one cable?

What is the highest number of 3.5-inch SATA drives that my power supply can handle safely with one cable?

O
oofgeg
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06-07-2023, 05:23 AM
#1
I'm trying to understand how many SATA 3.5 drives a single cable can handle without overloading it. I saw that some cables have up to four SATA connectors, while others include two MOLEX and three MOLEX connectors, plus one MOLEX to a 2xSATA adapter. It's unclear exactly how many drives a single plug or cable can support safely. The maximum number of connectors on any one cable is four, but with a cable that has three MOLEX connectors and a potential splitter, it could add up to six connectors. Unless the included splitter was only for power purposes, not for convenience, then I should be careful.

I'm planning to connect five 5400-7200 RPM 3.5 HDDs. I need to decide whether I can use one cable for all of them safely or if I should split the load across two cables. I also have some extra Molex to 2X and 4X SATA cables—quality ones that won't melt or fry. I found these links:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8793
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8794
If needed, I can use multiple cables instead of relying on the four-connector cable from the box.

I don't want to exhaust every port on the PSU for one cable, as I also need power for other components like an optical drive, a 2X SATA hot-swap bay, and a sound card with its own MOLEX connector.
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O
oofgeg
06-07-2023, 05:23 AM #1

I'm trying to understand how many SATA 3.5 drives a single cable can handle without overloading it. I saw that some cables have up to four SATA connectors, while others include two MOLEX and three MOLEX connectors, plus one MOLEX to a 2xSATA adapter. It's unclear exactly how many drives a single plug or cable can support safely. The maximum number of connectors on any one cable is four, but with a cable that has three MOLEX connectors and a potential splitter, it could add up to six connectors. Unless the included splitter was only for power purposes, not for convenience, then I should be careful.

I'm planning to connect five 5400-7200 RPM 3.5 HDDs. I need to decide whether I can use one cable for all of them safely or if I should split the load across two cables. I also have some extra Molex to 2X and 4X SATA cables—quality ones that won't melt or fry. I found these links:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8793
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8794
If needed, I can use multiple cables instead of relying on the four-connector cable from the box.

I don't want to exhaust every port on the PSU for one cable, as I also need power for other components like an optical drive, a 2X SATA hot-swap bay, and a sound card with its own MOLEX connector.

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S
slayer__is
Senior Member
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521
06-07-2023, 02:55 PM
#2
The maximum I've observed is 5x SATA devices. With a custom-made/sleeved cable kit, removing one lead means your PSU should include 4x cables. You can combine a set of 4x and 2x cables as you mentioned earlier.
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S
slayer__is
06-07-2023, 02:55 PM #2

The maximum I've observed is 5x SATA devices. With a custom-made/sleeved cable kit, removing one lead means your PSU should include 4x cables. You can combine a set of 4x and 2x cables as you mentioned earlier.

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