While building their PC system, many people have several questions about the Power Supply, and one of the most common questions that appear in people’s minds is whether they can use the old PSU cables or not?
I have been building PC for the last couple of years, and after researching this topic in depth, I will give you a clear idea of whether you should use old PSU cables or not. So, let’s started the discussion.
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Can You Use Old PSU Cables?
Yes! You can use the old PSU cables if your current Power Supply belongs from the same models and same brands. But, it is such a risky thing to use the old PSU cables for the new Power Supply because there is a possibility that there might be some difference in the versions & pin layouts of the Power Supply.
So, it is mostly recommended to use those PSU cables that come with the Power Supply; otherwise, damages could happen to your system. Below it is thoroughly explained what damages could happen to your system if you the old PSU cables. So, keep reading this article till the end.
Why Using Old PSU Cables Won’t Be Recommended?
Using the old PSU cables for a new build or new PC is not recommended at all because the cable layout differs from model to model and version to version. Let’s understand this in-depth-
Many beginner PC builders often make the mistake of buying a PSU from the same Band as their early PSU brand, and they begin to use the old PSU cables but after some time, they regret why they used that.
Most of the time, you will buy the same series Power Supply, but there is possibility that the PSU you bought may belong to the new version, and due to this, it might have a different pin layout. And using this new version of PSU is harmful to your system.
Due to lacking knowledge about these things, beginners often make this type of mistake, and they have to pay the price for this because doing this type of task severely harms your system’s components. To protect your PSU cables know How PSU Cables Goes Bad?
Below, we will look at the different damages that could happen to your system if you use the old Power Supply for the new system.
What Happen If You Use Old PSU Cables To New PSU?
If you are using the old PSU cables for the new Power Supply, then different things could happen with your system, but before knowing those things, you have to know something about different kinds of PSUs.
Generally, there are three types of Power Supplies: Non- modular, semi-modular and modular. Among these three types of PSUs, the non-modular PSUs have attachable cables, and you cant change the cables of these types of PSU.
The semi-modular PSUs come with 1 or 2 attachable cables, and the fully modular PSUs come with all the detachable cables. So, you cant use non-modular PSU cables; you can only use the old semi-modular and modular PSU cables.
But, it is not recommended at all to use the old PSU cables for a new one; otherwise, your system will literally go up in smoke.
Now, we will dive deeper into the facts about what damages could happen if you use the wrong PSU cables-
If you are using the wrong ATX Power Supply cable, it would mainly damage the motherboard, but if you are using the wrong 4/8 pin CPU cable, it could damage the CPU, CPU fan and other hardware parts that are closely attached to the CPU.
On the other hand, if you use the wrong SATA power cable, it could damage the storage devices like hard disks, SSDs, and optical drives; moreover, if you use the wrong PCLe cable, it could damage your graphics.
In concise, using the wrong PSU cables can damage your overall system’s components, including motherboard, hard disk, SSD, CPU, graphics, etc. Know How PSU Damage Your CPU?
Can You Reuse Modular PSU Cables?
Modular or fully modular cables are detachable, and if you are considering using the old modular PSU cables for the new one, then it is possible to do this, but the experts won’t recommend it.
The modular PSU cables are not universal. The cable pins and wattage don’t match the pin positions and wattage of the specific Power Supply model and brand.
If you are considering reusing the same brand’s & model’s modular PSU cables for the new PSU, then it is also not recommended by the experts because there might be a difference between versions of the cable.
Using Same Cables For Same PSU: Is It Possible?
Yes! it is possible to use the same brand’s Power Supply cables for other PSUs, but it is risky because the PSU cables vary from brand to brand and model to model.
It is also risky if you use the PSU cables from the same brands and models because there might be some difference between their versions, pin positions or wattage.
So, it is recommended even to not use the Power Supply cables from the same model and brands. It’s always better to use the cables that come with the Power Supply itself.
Swapping The PSU Cables from One Brand To Other
No! Experts do not recommend swapping the PSU cables from one brand to another because there might be a difference between the pin layouts.
Suppose you have a Power Supply from the Cooler Master brand, and if you replace its cables with the Seasonic’s PSU or Corsair’s PSU, then it could bring heavy damage to your system. That’s why it is always recommended to use those cables that only comes with any particular Power Supply.
Final Verdict
At the end of this article, I want to summarize everything for you that it is always recomended by the experts to use the cables that come with the PSU itself, and if you use cables from other brands, models or versions, then it could bring severe damages to your system.
I hope this article is helpful for you, and if you want to know more about the Power Supply, PSU cables, Motherboards and other types of PC components, then follow this blog regularly.
