Extension cables question.

CDdude55 · Jan 18, 2011, 07:29 PM

Kind of a newb question guys, but will using extension cables for my PSU's power cables alter the current in anyway that would potentially damage or degrade components?

Im planning on cleaning up my cables and ive heard in the past that you shouldn't use extension cables for very long because it can prevent clean and uninterrupted power from getting to your components.

Naturally i doubt that's true, but im still curious.

mlee49 · Jan 18, 2011, 07:31 PM

Any chance you could use a surge protector instead? I wouldn't trust a 800W power supply on a extension cable.

One question though, is it a wimpy cable or manly?

sneekypeet · Jan 18, 2011, 07:33 PM

the only real issue I see is resistance. The longer the power has to travel, the more resistance it will get from point A to B. If you were to use a heavy gauge (outdoor orange kind) extension cord you would have less issue, but still there would be resistance.

Chevalr1c · Jan 18, 2011, 07:35 PM

I think that CDdude means the internal power cables. Is that correct?

CDdude55 · Jan 18, 2011, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chevalr1c

I think that CDdude means the internal power cables. Is that correct?

Yep, im talking about the internal power cables.

sneekypeet · Jan 18, 2011, 07:40 PM

lulz, sorry I just assumed power to the unit...same rule applies, but with the short lengths of cabling the numbers are less noticeable. It goes off the same lore that modular PSUs are inferior to wired PSUs. I run a 24-pin adapter in my rig, and it didn't change my OC ability or make my PC crash more often. If my PC crashes, its cause I raised the bar

Make sure the gauge of the adapters is the same or larger than your PSU wires. Thinner wires in the adapters will in essence make it the weak link/fuse.

jsfitz54 · Jan 18, 2011, 07:48 PM

See this PSU mod at Mushkin web site: http://www.mu5hk1n3nh4nc3d.com/index.php?limitstart=2

streetfighter 2 · Jan 18, 2011, 07:48 PM

Aight, electronics 101 stuff here.

AC travels much greater distances without as much transmission loss (aka power lost to transmission) compared to DC. DC can, potentially, travel as far as AC but the cables would need to be very thick (perhaps impossibly thick) compared to their AC counterparts; this is due to impedance.

The electricity running to your PSU from the wall is AC (probably 110VAC) and out of the PSU it is DC (which I know you know but I'm reiterating anyway

). The impedance of a properly made PSU extension cable with properly made contacts should be sufficiently low that transmission loss would be negligible in most (if not all) cases. In extreme cases the transmission loss might be substantial enough for stability issues to arise, perhaps due to exceeding the amperage rating of the extension cable.

tl;dr IMO, the transmission loss from a quality PSU extension cable (making good contact) should not be substantial enough to cause stability/component degradation except in the most extreme circumstances.

CDdude55 · Jan 18, 2011, 10:36 PM

So which 8 pin CPU extension cables would you guys recommend me getting?(some of those aren't 8 pin extensions though):

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=12953938...ps%20extension

joeyck · Jan 19, 2011, 01:39 AM

http://www.amazon.com/Eps-Pin-Power-...5404764&sr=8-1

this should do

travva · Jan 19, 2011, 02:21 AM

these, sleeved and awesome in my experience. NZXT 9.84" 8Pin Motherboard Power Extension Cable ...

CDdude55 · Jan 19, 2011, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travva

these, sleeved and awesome in my experience. NZXT 9.84" 8Pin Motherboard Power Extension Cable ...

Looks good!, i'll probably go with that

MohawkAngel · Jan 19, 2011, 12:26 PM

Look on e-bay for god sake :P 1.99$ including shipping from Hong kong lol

NdMk2o1o · Jan 19, 2011, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travva

these, sleeved and awesome in my experience. NZXT 9.84" 8Pin Motherboard Power Extension Cable ...

Can vouch for these, I have 2x6pin pcie extensions from NZXT and they look great, nice quality too.

westom · Jan 20, 2011, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDdude55

but will using extension cables for my PSU's power cables alter the current in anyway that would potentially damage or degrade components?

Low voltages are harmful to electric motors. Which is why utilities keep voltages so tightly controlled.

Low voltage is perfectly ideal for electronics. Normal voltage for any electronic appliance also means incandescent bulbs dim to 50% intensity. Low voltage created by long power cords is either more than sufficient. Or the electronic appliance powers itself off.

Problem with long power cords - human safety. Which is why wall receptacles are located every 12 feet. If a power cord is for anything but permanent power, then the extension cord must be replaced by wires as defined by the National Electrical code. Which is written by an organization whose purpose is human safety.

Separation between electronics and its supply creates major problems. To do that requires something called Kelvin connections. Your supply is not designed for Kelvin connections. Other problems also exist which is why utility power is provided in AC; not in DC.

[H]@RD5TUFF · Jan 20, 2011, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NdMk2o1o

Can vouch for these, I have 2x6pin pcie extensions from NZXT and they look great, nice quality too.

http://img.techpowerup.org/110119/SAM_1468.jpg

I too can say they work just fine.

Jan 18, 2011, 07:29 PM	#1
CDdude55 Crazy 4 TPU!!! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,437 (3.01/day) Thanks: 3,511 Thanked 1,285 Times in 937 Posts System Specs	Extension cables question. Kind of a newb question guys, but will using extension cables for my PSU's power cables alter the current in anyway that would potentially damage or degrade components? Im planning on cleaning up my cables and ive heard in the past that you shouldn't use extension cables for very long because it can prevent clean and uninterrupted power from getting to your components. Naturally i doubt that's true, but im still curious. __________________ Currently playing: Team Fortress 2 (PC) "And remember if you didn't build it yourself, it's not really yours."

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Jan 18, 2011, 07:31 PM	#2
mlee49 Eligible for custom title Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: KU Posts: 6,921 (3.51/day) Thanks: 1,598 Thanked 2,047 Times in 1,602 Posts System Specs	Any chance you could use a surge protector instead? I wouldn't trust a 800W power supply on a extension cable. One question though, is it a wimpy cable or manly? __________________ Heatware: Mlee49 115-0

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Jan 18, 2011, 07:33 PM	#3
sneekypeet Unpaid Babysitter Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 19,003 (7.32/day) Thanks: 3,035 Thanked 5,487 Times in 3,950 Posts System Specs	the only real issue I see is resistance. The longer the power has to travel, the more resistance it will get from point A to B. If you were to use a heavy gauge (outdoor orange kind) extension cord you would have less issue, but still there would be resistance. __________________ Hers: ASUS Maximus V Gene / i7 3770K / Swiftech H220 / 4X8GB Corsair Dominators / ASUS GTX660 / Corsair AX-760 / Windows 7 64bit / Fractal Design ARC Midi R2 Test: Gigabyte Z68X-UD4-B3 / i7 2600K / A lot Of Coolers / Ripjaws Currently / HIS HD7950 IceQ Turbo / Silverstone SST-ST85F-G / Windows 7 64bit / InWin D-Frame Limited Edition

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Jan 18, 2011, 07:35 PM	#4
Chevalr1c Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tilburg, Netherlands Posts: 2,057 (2.07/day) Thanks: 4,951 Thanked 785 Times in 531 Posts System Specs	I think that CDdude means the internal power cables. Is that correct? __________________ My FS/FT thread (EU only) \| DynMap of the TPU Minecraft server \| Quick monitor calibration guide \| Boot Failure Troubleshooting Chart \| Solar Team Eindhoven Family Car Project Using BOINC I crunch numbers for World Community Grid, Climateprediction, Free Rainbow Tables and POEM@home; hence assisting research.

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Jan 18, 2011, 07:40 PM	#6
sneekypeet Unpaid Babysitter Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 19,003 (7.32/day) Thanks: 3,035 Thanked 5,487 Times in 3,950 Posts System Specs	lulz, sorry I just assumed power to the unit...same rule applies, but with the short lengths of cabling the numbers are less noticeable. It goes off the same lore that modular PSUs are inferior to wired PSUs. I run a 24-pin adapter in my rig, and it didn't change my OC ability or make my PC crash more often. If my PC crashes, its cause I raised the bar Make sure the gauge of the adapters is the same or larger than your PSU wires. Thinner wires in the adapters will in essence make it the weak link/fuse. __________________ Hers: ASUS Maximus V Gene / i7 3770K / Swiftech H220 / 4X8GB Corsair Dominators / ASUS GTX660 / Corsair AX-760 / Windows 7 64bit / Fractal Design ARC Midi R2 Test: Gigabyte Z68X-UD4-B3 / i7 2600K / A lot Of Coolers / Ripjaws Currently / HIS HD7950 IceQ Turbo / Silverstone SST-ST85F-G / Windows 7 64bit / InWin D-Frame Limited Edition

Jan 18, 2011, 07:48 PM	#7
jsfitz54 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 771 (0.72/day) Thanks: 192 Thanked 179 Times in 154 Posts System Specs	See this PSU mod at Mushkin web site: http://www.mu5hk1n3nh4nc3d.com/index.php?limitstart=2

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Jan 18, 2011, 07:48 PM	#8
streetfighter 2 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Philly Posts: 1,599 (1.55/day) Thanks: 1,004 Thanked 765 Times in 539 Posts System Specs	Aight, electronics 101 stuff here. AC travels much greater distances without as much transmission loss (aka power lost to transmission) compared to DC. DC can, potentially, travel as far as AC but the cables would need to be very thick (perhaps impossibly thick) compared to their AC counterparts; this is due to impedance. The electricity running to your PSU from the wall is AC (probably 110VAC) and out of the PSU it is DC (which I know you know but I'm reiterating anyway ). The impedance of a properly made PSU extension cable with properly made contacts should be sufficiently low that transmission loss would be negligible in most (if not all) cases. In extreme cases the transmission loss might be substantial enough for stability issues to arise, perhaps due to exceeding the amperage rating of the extension cable. tl;dr IMO, the transmission loss from a quality PSU extension cable (making good contact) should not be substantial enough to cause stability/component degradation except in the most extreme circumstances. __________________ [How hot are your mosfets?] [Internet Privacy]

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Jan 18, 2011, 10:36 PM	#9
CDdude55 Crazy 4 TPU!!! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,437 (3.01/day) Thanks: 3,511 Thanked 1,285 Times in 937 Posts System Specs	So which 8 pin CPU extension cables would you guys recommend me getting?(some of those aren't 8 pin extensions though): http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=12953938...ps%20extension __________________ Currently playing: Team Fortress 2 (PC) "And remember if you didn't build it yourself, it's not really yours."

Jan 19, 2011, 01:39 AM	#10
joeyck Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 714 (0.67/day) Thanks: 143 Thanked 55 Times in 52 Posts	http://www.amazon.com/Eps-Pin-Power-...5404764&sr=8-1 this should do __________________ FS Thread Heat:JOEYCK

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Jan 19, 2011, 02:21 AM	#11
travva Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Hampton, VA USA Posts: 287 (0.17/day) Thanks: 101 Thanked 59 Times in 49 Posts System Specs	these, sleeved and awesome in my experience. NZXT 9.84" 8Pin Motherboard Power Extension Cable ... __________________ fedor by armbar. My Heatware

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Jan 19, 2011, 12:26 PM	#13
MohawkAngel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,814 (1.15/day) Thanks: 87 Thanked 128 Times in 116 Posts System Specs	Look on e-bay for god sake :P 1.99$ including shipping from Hong kong lol

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