Is Molex Power Safe?

[TheCherryKing]

A few days ago I installed a USB 3.0 Header PCIe Card. I needed this card to add USB 3 headers to my motherboard. This particular card used SATA Power instead of Molex Power. I used a Molex Power to SATA Power adapter to get the card to work. I turned my computer on and smoke came from the PCIe Card. I immediately turned off the computer and removed the PCIe card. I sent it back to Amazon and got a full refund. After that my computer booted up just fine and has been running for days. All of my optical drives and hard drives use Molex Power in my computer and I am extremely concerned about using Molex Power now. I am also concerned that that PCIe card caused more damage to the motherboard and PSU. The computer is fully functional and there is no visual damage but I am still concerned about the PSU. The power supply is a Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W 80 Plus Platinum. Is there anything I should be concerned about?

[Godlygamer23]

Molex is fine to power things. The card itself could've been defective. Was the Molex adapter used on other things at all?

[AnonymousGuy]

Power is power regardless of the connector deliverying it.  (not 100% true because molex can handle different current than SATA than 8 pin etc).

[EmoChipmonk]

The card was most likly defective. MAke sure you used the right adapter with your PSU as Salazar studio killed his system with wrong adaptors to power his hue+

[aisle9]

Molex is perfectly safe. Many Molex to SATA adapters have serious defects that can cause excessive heat, smoke, possibly fire in the adapter in rare cases. A gentleman on YouTube named Mark Furneaux had this happen to one of his PCs, and he did a short series of videos afterwards to identify why the adapter failed catastrophically, and how to pick out Molex to SATA adapters that are less likely to fail in such a way.

[knightslugger]

it's likely the card used the 5vdc pinouts on the SATA power connector and not 12vdc.

[Aniallation]

Molex power itself is by all means completely safe, especially when considered on the PSU end. However accessories that connect to it can be made to dodgy specifications and lead to issues. 

[TheCherryKing]

Thank you everybody for the help.

[TheCherryKing]

Is it safe to use the same PCIe slot that the USB header card was in?

[vagabond139]

Make sure you have a good molex to sata adapter.

 

 

 

[Godlygamer23]

1 hour ago, TheCherryKing said:

Is it safe to use the same PCIe slot that the USB header card was in?

If I have understood you correctly, the function and capabilities of the PCIe slots do not change because of what was previously present. 

[TheCherryKing]

I understand the function doesn't change but I am concerned if there is any damage to the PCIe slot.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

The only way to know for sure is to plug something else into the slot. 

A USB card, a graphics card, an audio or network card, doesn't matter really.  If the PC detects the new card and can use it (after installation of drivers, probably), the PCI slot should be okay.