Wire gauges

liquidzoo · Feb 10, 2012

Me again...

In my thoughts about making some sleeved extensions for the wires looming about in my case, I was wondering what size wires I should use.

I'm pretty sure that most of the power wires use 18 AWG wire, and it seems fairly easy to make (and sleeve) the extensions as long as I can figure out the correct pin sizes for the 24 pin/8 pin/PCI-E cables and for the 4 pin Molex plugs. I can buy them in quantities of 25-100 locally if I can figure out that, rather than paying additional amounts for shipping.

I'm not entirely sure how to make fan cables or built in USB cables (or for that matter any of the case wiring) longer.

I know how to splice wires together (either with solder or just twisting them together), so that's not an issue. Can I just cut the wires somewhere in the middle and splice in more wire to make it longer? It would certainly be cheaper than buying pre-made extensions. What gauge of wire should I use? I'm specifically looking at PWM fans (making the cable longer or shorter for better cable routing, and to reach certain spots on my motherboard), but I would certainly appreciate any and all knowledge surrounding any work like this that anyone else has done.

liamstears · Feb 10, 2012

Yeh splice away! BUT I would strongly suggest that you only solder and heatshrink, dont just twist together

As for wire gauges just use the same as what you are extending, its written on the cable so its easy to get the right stuff

liquidzoo · Feb 10, 2012

Thanks. I just looked on a couple of spares I have around and you're right, they do have the size printed on them...but I'm not so sure I can read it.

I think one of the fans that came with my spare case (a Cooler Master) uses 20 AWG, and it looks like an audio header uses the same...but to my eyes the USB wires that came with the same case seem smaller, though I can't tell for sure because again I can't read what is written there.

The power LED header that I looked at (just a random sample) seems to be yet a third gauge, but that could be my eyes playing a trick on me...

I'll see if I can find a magnifying glass and look at it under my wife's HD sewing light to see if I can tell for sure one way or the other.

WiSK · Feb 10, 2012

ATX cables should be 18 gauge. Fans, front panel, audio and internal USB should be 26 AWG. Many manufacturers use different specifications, but those are the ones that were defined by Molex according to the ATX standard.

liquidzoo · Feb 10, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiSK

ATX cables should be 18 gauge. Fans, front panel, audio and internal USB should be 26 AWG. Many manufacturers use different specifications, but those are the ones that were defined by Molex according to the ATX standard.

Thanks. That helps out a ton.

Any idea on the size of the pins for a USB or fan header? I'm sure that I can buy them from FrozenCPU or somewhere similar, but I would love to know the size (really of all of the pins) to see if I can buy them locally.

WiSK · Feb 10, 2012

Those pins don't just have a "size" but a whole specification. I don't know the part numbers of the fan pins, nor the USB pins, except that they are different despite both taking 26AWG. I know that the ATX/EPS/PCIe pins are part of the Molex MiniFit jr series and I could probably guess at the part numbers. Of course it might be that your local shops don't have a connection to whatever reseller network Molex uses. Then those pins are also made (copied) by other companies will be listed under a different number. So it's a bit tricky to give advice to you about this. Not to mention that for such tiny crimps, the correct tool is useful but can be expensive.

liquidzoo · Feb 10, 2012

I will have to research removing pins from an internal USB header. My card reader has a header that has some plastic rails (I assume guides), but the Asus motherboard I have has some plastic protection surrounding the internal USB headers, so I've had to try (fairly successfully, though fairly messily) to trim that off. If it's not too hard, perhaps I will replace it.

By the way, these are the pins I can buy locally. Some look similar to the molex pins I've seen in sleeving pictures/videos, but I'm not sure. Maybe it will just be easier to buy them online.

http://www.frys.com/catreq/3986

DuckieHo · Feb 10, 2012

Performance PCs sells pins and plugs.

Try to buy the exact pins.... there are literally tens of thousands of different pin specifications that are almost the same.

radodrill · Feb 12, 2012

With the USB cables you have to be careful since they typically use twisted pair wiring and are often shielded as well; same is the case for firewire.

liquidzoo · Feb 13, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by radodrill

With the USB cables you have to be careful since they typically use twisted pair wiring and are often shielded as well; same is the case for firewire.

I've yet to see a PC mobo or case with Firewire (I know they exist, but I also know that USB 2.0 and now 3.0 is far more common), but I do get your point.

I'm fairly certain I'm going to order this from FrozenCPU rather than try to make my own audio and USB extensions. It's cheap enough that I'll just pick up that set and sleeve it instead.

liquidzoo · Feb 13, 2012

Perhaps the simplest question of all, yet something that could be very important to a noob like myself:

When making extensions (or replacing PSU wires, for that matter), without cutting wires to start with; do you want to get solid core or stranded core wire to use? My thought is stranded, but I'm not sure.

WiSK · Feb 13, 2012

Stranded is easier to solder, but I can't even guess what electrical advantages one has over the other.

Wire gauges

liquidzoo

liamstears

liquidzoo

WiSK

liquidzoo

WiSK

liquidzoo

DuckieHo

radodrill

liquidzoo

liquidzoo

WiSK

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