When to use the ATX 12V Power Connector?

[Happy100]

Hi,

I have the MSI 845PE MAX Motherboard with a Intel Celeron 1.7Ghz CPU, it has been running very slow since I have had it and I've just upgraded the PSU to 500 Watts and I find the board and the PSU has the 4 pin 12V connector.

Can anyone advise me if I can use this 4 pin connector with my config of board and cpu?
I didn't want to just try it without seeking advise, just in case I blow the processor!

There wasn't anything in the mobo manual about.

Many thanks

Happy.

 

[tf1]

Yes, plug it in.


Regards: tf1

 

[Happy100]

Hi tf1

Do you know if this will help speed the system up?
Also do I need to change anything in BIOS?

Cheers

Happy.

 

[franklin97355]

It's there for a reason, PLUG IT IN.

 

[tf1]

The auxilliary connector is to provide additional current for the 12V supply over the 3.3A provided by the older connector standards.

No need to change anything in BIOS. It will spread the current demand on the 12v rail. It will only make your system faster if it was being starve of 12v current.


Regards: tf1

 

[edfair]

No, it won't speed anything up. It is there because the FCC mandated no more than 5 amps per connector and the P4 pulled more than the standard ATX connectors could supply within those limits.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Happy100]

Thanks guts,

I've plugged it in!
Hasn't seemed to of made a difference, but I'm sure it can't be bad!

Thanks again.

Happy.

 

[edfair]

I forgot on the previous post. This is not a 12v supply. It is a LV supply.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[tf1]

LV = Low Voltage and it is 12v. The previous ATX standard only allowed for 3.3A: the additional 4-pin socket is to provide additional current.


Regards: tf1

 

[paparazi]

Happy100
So it's because your system has relatively low consuming hardware that there havn't been any problems with running without this additional plug, things would have been much differant if you would have had a P4 3.0gig, an Audigy2 plus several other PCI cards plus something like a
GF4 4600Ti, that when current load on the standard power socket would have been exceeded and the system could have become unstable.
Martin


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