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How To: Make a PCI Express Power Connector
Written by Spode (16/Oct/04)
Page 2 of 2

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We hunted around for a couple of old 80mm case fans and stole the female molex plugs. If you use a small flat bladed screwdriver, you can push down the latches on the pins so that they pop through the other side and can be reused. If you happen to have a set of crimpers and the appropriate ends, your life will be a lot easier as you can just crimp a new set onto each cable. If like us, you don't have a crimp tool a little soldering is required.

Once you have the pins removed from the female molex connectors, remove the wires from the pins by levering open the part which crimps onto the wire insulation, then cut the wire off the rest of the pin. You will need 5 pins.

Shown below is the pinout for the graphics card connector. Each of these pins needs to be routed to an appropriate pin on the molex connectors. It doesn't matter which pin goes to which connector, as long as every pin is connected to the right voltage. The 4 pin molex connectors on your power supply use the same colour code shown below. Yellow is +12 volts, and black is Ground. Compare your female molex connectors with the male ones on your power supply to identify which pin is the 12 volt one. You could mark it with a pen to make sure you don't mix them up.

The unmarked pin on the above diagram is unused. Find the corresponding pin on your new plug, and cut off that wire as close to the connector and as cleanly as you can.

Strip about 6mm of insulation from the ends of the remaining wires on your cut down ATX plug, and give the strands a twist to hold them together. To attach them to the pins, use a pair of pliers to crimp the wire in, using the prongs you levered open to get the old wire out. Now the bare conductors should be held close to the connector, and you can solder them on with a minimum of fuss. Using a knife, lever the latches on the pins outwards, so that when you put them back in to the molex connectors they will stay put.

Double check your pin-outs before finally plugging the card in, and PCI Express graphics should now be yours.


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