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When modular power supplies first started coming on the market, I thought my prayers had finally been answered. However, the more and more I use these supplies, the less 'modular' they are for me. I am usually still left with several molex connectors hanging there and too much excess wire stuffed everywhere. I really, really hate excess wiring, extra connectors hanging everywhere, and general wiring messiness. For my upcoming SFF build, I am going to have to be extra anal as the case will be windowed.
Goal: Because it is windowed, if the wire doesn't serve a purpose it is going bye-bye without question. No extra hanging molex anywhere! If it wasn't a windowed system, I wouldn't care so much.
Victim Case: Black SilverStone SG01-Evolution with Windows
The Power Supply
I think I have found the perfect victim supply for this project. It's an Enhance ENP-5140GH 400W fixed wiring supply. Now, at first glance, there is nothing special about this power supply at all and it looks just like your typical Chinese piece of crap. However, once you put this baby on some good test equipment as jonnyGURU did in his review, this turns out to be quite the sleeper of a power supply. It is efficient with very clean output and costs $57.
I decided to go with this fixed wired supply over a modular for a couple reasons. First, all of the high efficiency modulars I looked at still had an excess of fixed wires that I'd still have to go inside and remove from the case. For fixed wiring, the really good modulars have both 4-pin and 8-pin EPS12V connectors in addition to the ATX connector. Secondly, the cost. I'm not trying to cheap out on this project and I'm the type of person who typically spends more for extra quality. However, for a project like this when I am hacking so much out of the power supply, it doesn't seem to make much sense to invest in a $100-$175 supply, that I'll never be able to use in another case, when an +80% efficiency supply like this one can be had for $57. In this box, I will never need SLI and the supply will never see anywhere close to 400W of load Third, and last (I think), I think that this will look even cleaner than a modular when I am finished as there won't be any extra connectors on the case of the power supply.. just a smooth finish.
Edit: Plus, the case of the PSU is jet black so it fits in well with the color scheme of the build.
Let's move on to some of the details of the build...
Mods to the PSU:
All molex connectors are to be snipped off, the PSU is not sleeved and the only way to sleeve it properly is to snip, snip, snip at the first connector as I will be replacing all the connectors as well.
24-Pin ATX will most likely be shortened to a length just long enough to plug into the motherboard with a little bit of slack left over. It will be sleeved before the molex put back on.
8-Pin CPU connector will be cut-off and wiring modified for a new 4-pin connector. This will probably require pulling unused wires back into the PSU and desoldering from board. Wires to be sleeved before putting new molex on.
6-Pin PCI-E to be cut-off, cut to the length of the run to the card, sleeved, and new connector put on.
Peripherals:
Harness 1:
If, after cutting off the molex, the wires are long enough, sleeve the wires and install 2 SATA connectors closely spaced for the two hard drives. If wires are not long enough, pull them back in through the power supply and splice in new run to the devices. Splices will be made by soldering and not crimped and will be properly insulated.
Harness 2:
Single SATA for optical. This should be simple as the device is real close to the PSU. Sleeve and then put on the proper A.C. Ryan connector.
Harness 3:
Single 4-pin molex run to front of case to power the fan controller. Sleeve and install proper A.C. Ryan connector.
All excess wires to be pulled through the power supply and cut off leaving only 1" tails which are then properly insulated. Additionally, I may also replace the fan with a lighted fan as I don't have many other options to get light into the system. One set of the excess wires could be used to run the light. Always on doesn't bother me.
Color scheme will be red/black. Red connectors, black heat shrink, and red sleeve. The case is factory painted black and the motherboard is red and black so I think this will work nicely.
When I first started thinking about going to the extreme like this, I thought I was crazy. However, the more I think about it, it really isn't all that crazy. Ambitious maybe but crazy? Naww..
I am always open to suggestions.
- JT
Goal: Because it is windowed, if the wire doesn't serve a purpose it is going bye-bye without question. No extra hanging molex anywhere! If it wasn't a windowed system, I wouldn't care so much.
Victim Case: Black SilverStone SG01-Evolution with Windows
The Power Supply
I think I have found the perfect victim supply for this project. It's an Enhance ENP-5140GH 400W fixed wiring supply. Now, at first glance, there is nothing special about this power supply at all and it looks just like your typical Chinese piece of crap. However, once you put this baby on some good test equipment as jonnyGURU did in his review, this turns out to be quite the sleeper of a power supply. It is efficient with very clean output and costs $57.
I decided to go with this fixed wired supply over a modular for a couple reasons. First, all of the high efficiency modulars I looked at still had an excess of fixed wires that I'd still have to go inside and remove from the case. For fixed wiring, the really good modulars have both 4-pin and 8-pin EPS12V connectors in addition to the ATX connector. Secondly, the cost. I'm not trying to cheap out on this project and I'm the type of person who typically spends more for extra quality. However, for a project like this when I am hacking so much out of the power supply, it doesn't seem to make much sense to invest in a $100-$175 supply, that I'll never be able to use in another case, when an +80% efficiency supply like this one can be had for $57. In this box, I will never need SLI and the supply will never see anywhere close to 400W of load Third, and last (I think), I think that this will look even cleaner than a modular when I am finished as there won't be any extra connectors on the case of the power supply.. just a smooth finish.
Edit: Plus, the case of the PSU is jet black so it fits in well with the color scheme of the build.
Let's move on to some of the details of the build...
Mods to the PSU:
All molex connectors are to be snipped off, the PSU is not sleeved and the only way to sleeve it properly is to snip, snip, snip at the first connector as I will be replacing all the connectors as well.
24-Pin ATX will most likely be shortened to a length just long enough to plug into the motherboard with a little bit of slack left over. It will be sleeved before the molex put back on.
8-Pin CPU connector will be cut-off and wiring modified for a new 4-pin connector. This will probably require pulling unused wires back into the PSU and desoldering from board. Wires to be sleeved before putting new molex on.
6-Pin PCI-E to be cut-off, cut to the length of the run to the card, sleeved, and new connector put on.
Peripherals:
Harness 1:
If, after cutting off the molex, the wires are long enough, sleeve the wires and install 2 SATA connectors closely spaced for the two hard drives. If wires are not long enough, pull them back in through the power supply and splice in new run to the devices. Splices will be made by soldering and not crimped and will be properly insulated.
Harness 2:
Single SATA for optical. This should be simple as the device is real close to the PSU. Sleeve and then put on the proper A.C. Ryan connector.
Harness 3:
Single 4-pin molex run to front of case to power the fan controller. Sleeve and install proper A.C. Ryan connector.
All excess wires to be pulled through the power supply and cut off leaving only 1" tails which are then properly insulated. Additionally, I may also replace the fan with a lighted fan as I don't have many other options to get light into the system. One set of the excess wires could be used to run the light. Always on doesn't bother me.
Color scheme will be red/black. Red connectors, black heat shrink, and red sleeve. The case is factory painted black and the motherboard is red and black so I think this will work nicely.
When I first started thinking about going to the extreme like this, I thought I was crazy. However, the more I think about it, it really isn't all that crazy. Ambitious maybe but crazy? Naww..
I am always open to suggestions.
- JT