Thoughts about Dual PSU Setup

[neptunefix]

If pins 14 and 15 are always grounded, wouldnt the PSU always be on? (unless you reach around the back and turn it off)

Basically, I would need a switch that when the case button was pressed, it would switch from shorting to not shorting those pins on the ATX cable. Right? I can't believe so few people want to use an ATX power supply for external enclosures.

 

[JrRacinFan]

here lemme read up, i hate to give false info.

Once I find it I will edit this post.

EDIT:
Pin 14 is green (PS-ON)
Pin 13 and 15 are ground.

You could easily mod those to add-in a single pole single throw switch. When the "green" wire is grounded and staying grounded the power supply will stay powered on.

 

[niko084]

I would get a half decent psu for now, and then when you can afford it, pick up a good one. If for some reason you want/need tons of power run 2 but use GOOD psu's...

Buying/Using a cheap PSU on a nice system...
is like buying a Ferrari and putting Diesel in it.

 

[Namslas90]

You said that black and green wires must be connected for the power supply to work without beeing connected to the mobo. I found the green wire but there are plenty of black ones. Which one is the correct?

Any of the black (ground) wires will do.

If pins 14 and 15 are always grounded, wouldnt the PSU always be on? (unless you reach around the back and turn it off)

No, it's just to check for the presence of the Mobo.

Basically, I would need a switch that when the case button was pressed, it would switch from shorting to not shortiing...

There is no real or important voltage on the green wire. No need for a switch.

 

[hat]

You'll be fine until you can afford a good single PSU. My uncle just bought a new Dell to fool around with, it has a Core 2 Duo in it, and it came with a 160W A-OPEN power supply.

My reccomendation: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171023

 

[neptunefix]

I didn't mean to try and hijack this thread, as it was kind of old when I found it. I agree, the person looking to use 2 PSU's in a single case should just get ONE good PSU. Cooler Master has made good, quiet, budget PSUs lately.

However, in my case (no pun intended), my 2nd PSU unit is in an external case, used to power the DVD player and removable hard drives.. So, 1 PSU unit could work, with a Y cable, but they would both be powering the motherboard and other options leave the external case's PSU in a constant state of being turned on.

 

[KennyT772]

An easy way of doing this is just splicing a wire into the green atx wire, and running it to the remote psu. Or you can just take a 20pin->24pin adapter, cut off one end, splice the green and black together with a switch in the middle, and call it good. I've even seen Internal versions of this hack so you could test a psu without even plugging it in.