PC Power & Cooling 510 SLI PSU Missing Wire?

[rpd162]

I recently purchased this psu you from PcPC and noticed when installing it into my computer it was missing one wire lead. I counted 23 wires and connectors and there was an empty plug near the middle of the power connector. I immediately contacted PC Pwr and Cooling and spoke with a tech there. He first asked if I was sure then stated it should have 24 wires. He later stated that the SLI psu didnt need this wire.
Recently received this email from them. Just throwing this out there, does this seem right to everyone? Thats alot of money to spend and want to make sure I'm not gettn screwed. Thanks for looking.

The missing wire is the -5V location which we have intentionaly eliminated
from all of the SLI models (an attempt to keep the wire bundle smaller),
since no current motherboards are using it. In fact motherboard
manufacturers began dropping the -5V requirement over two years ago, and it
was used for on board sound.

Should you require to have the wire added, we would be happy to prepare a
replacement immediately. Regardless, I appreciate your initial trust in PC
Power & Cooling, Inc. and apologize for the otherwise vague response you
received.

Sincerely

Bob Roark
President
PC Power & Cooling, Inc.
(800)722-6555
gm@pcpow.com

 

[davidhammock200]

Neither the -5V or the -12V are used on modern PC's.

At least PC P&C still has that voltage available, many others don't even generate it at all.

Dave

 

[FreiDOg]

yes. The latest ATX specs remove the -5V rail entirely, but to avoid conflicting with existing supplies (or motherboards) the pin was left vaccant, if you were to say replace that pin with +12V, and connect it to a motherboard that was using the older standard with -5V on that pin, bad things would happen. So they leave it empty to avoid that possiblity.

Most of the new ATX12V 2.03 supplies have that pin missing.

 

[rpd162]

Perfect. Thanks guys, I wont worry about it then.

 

[Elledan]

Neither the -5V or the -12V are used on modern PC's.

At least PC P&C still has that voltage available, many others don't even generate it at all.

Dave

Actually, quite a number of new systems still use -12 V, mostly for COM-port signaling.

It's not being used quite as much as it used to be, though.

-5 V, however, is definitely not necessary in reasonably new systems.

 

[davidhammock200]

Actually, quite a number of new systems still use -12 V, mostly for COM-port signaling.

It's not being used quite as much as it used to be, though.

-5 V, however, is definitely not necessary in reasonably new systems.

The last dozen or so mobos that I used didn't use it at all. These were single CPU PC's not servers.

What mobos still use the -12V?

That is also the subject of this thread. http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=875142

 

[Elledan]

The last dozen or so mobos that I used didn't use it at all. These were single CPU PC's not servers.

What mobos still use the -12V?

That is also the subject of this thread. http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=875142

It was just something I read, but didn't bother to further investigate. Might have been outdated information

 

[Ice Czar]

It was just something I read

probably my l33t quoting skills

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/sup/func.htm

-12 V: This voltage is used on some types of serial port circuits, whose amplifier circuits require both -12V and +12V. It is not needed on some newer systems, and even on older ones not very much is used, because the serial ports require little power. Most power supplies provide it for compatibility with older hardware, but usually with a current limit of less than 1 A.

-5 V: A now archaic voltage, -5 V was used on some of the earliest PCs for floppy controllers and other circuits used by ISA bus cards. It is usually provided, in small quantity (generally less than 1A), for compatibility with older hardware. Some form factor power supplies such as the SFX no longer bother to supply it (systems using the SFX power supply are intended not to have ISA bus slots).

and the article itself is somewhat dated


-5V though is a true dinosaur,
the only thing I think uses it is the OCZ DDR Booster
and then I think its for the LED