Is molex to SATA still that bad? reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackmine57 · 2023-12-29 17:42 Hello! So I'd want to power [this rack](https://www.startech.com/en- us/hdd/hsb4satsasba) with an old 450W power supply which doesn't have the right SATA cable and I would rather not buy a new alimentation (I mean this one might work right?) just for the rack. So I think I'll buy a Molex to Sata ([this one?](https://www.amazon.fr/EMSea- Adaptateur-dalimentation-Slimline-Remplacement/dp/B0BTYD2D63) but I've read they tend to catch fire, and since I'm not always at home it might be quite problematic. Do you think it is actually alright to use them (not even using a splitter or anything so it should be alright? Right?) or do you think I should find another way? Thank you, and sorry for this dumb question! Sorry I'm not English and I'm new to hardware stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- foefyre · 2023-12-29 18:02 Yes, had a connector melt. Could've been worse but I caught it early ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ForesakenJolly · 2023-12-29 18:13 Just use a good adapter. You’ll be fine. Also don’t overload them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackmine57 · 2023-12-29 18:18 Thank you! I don't think it'll be overloaded. I plan to use 2 adapters for 4 drives (as required for the rack) and it is only to power them, no data will go through. How can I know if the adapter is good? Any recommendation ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackmine57 · 2023-12-29 18:19 That seems quite dangerous. Was it quite progressive (like it takes a few days before it melted) is it only a matter of a few minutes/hours? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- foefyre · 2023-12-29 18:21 It started having an iffy connection like the drives would disappear for a second and then work all day. So definitely a slow process but your experience may vary ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackmine57 · 2023-12-29 18:23 Oh okay, sounds alright. I can get another adapter if needed. Thank you! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- msanangelo · 2023-12-29 18:30 avoid the molded ones and/or don't put more than a single y-cable on a molded connector if you do use one. if the wires don't have a chance to heat up then it's "fine". I'd prefer the hard plastic ones where possible. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ForesakenJolly · 2023-12-29 18:36 No bare or loose cables going into the connectors. And just a good reputable brand. How many wires are going back to the psu for the four data connections? You should have two. One may work but two would be best. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackmine57 · 2023-12-29 19:03 Okay! Thank you. I will put 2, it is made for 2 so I won't risk it ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Practical_Driver_924 · 2023-12-29 19:06 i once heard this: molex to sata lose all your data ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackmine57 · 2023-12-29 19:38 Yep.... I heard that too ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mthrboard · 2023-12-29 19:59 The popular saying "Molex to SATA, lose all your data" is a bit of a misnomer. Molex connectors are perfectly fine, as are some SATA connectors. A more accurate phrase would be "Molded SATA, lose all your data", because it's the molded SATA power connectors that are the issue. With a molded SATA connector, you can't be sure the injection molded plastic fully surrounded every wire inside the connector. And if it didn't, under some circumstances the wires can short inside, heating up the plastic, melting it, and potentially causing a fire. Non-molded SATA connectors, like the crimped connectors or Insulation Displacement Connectors (IDC) found on most modern power supplies, are much safer. And if you use a Molex to SATA adapter that uses these same crimped/IDC SATA connectors, the risk of shorting is practically eliminated. \[Here's\]([https://i.imgur.com/3H5oh64.png](https://i.img ur.com/SVZenYb.png)) an example of what to look for in a good SATA connector and what to avoid. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kmisterk · 2023-12-29 20:33 ## Post Removed Hey, blackmine57! Thanks for your submission on selfhosted. Your post has been removed due to a violation of the purpose of the subreddit: **Self Hosting** ## Not Self-Hosted When it comes to posts regarding applications in this subreddit, they must feature a self-hosted tool, or a tool that *can be* self-hosted, or some kind of related information, help request, or otherwise related to a tool that is something that one can self-host. If you believe this post *is in fact* relevant to /r/selfhosted, feel free to [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to= /r/selfhosted&subject=Removed For Not Being Self- Hosted&message=[Removed Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/18tspko/-/\)) with your concerns.