Something Linus said once has me confused

[Gravemind]

I don't remember what video it was, but he said "Molex to Sata(power), lose all your data."

Not exactly sure what he's implying, that Molex to Sata is bad for your drives? I've had drives running off an adapter like that and nothing bad's happened.

Is this just like old PC building wisdom from back in the day? Like before PSU's were as good as their modern counterparts.

[AbydosOne]

3 minutes ago, Gravemind said:

"Molex to Sata(power), lose all your data."

The vast majority of Molex to SATA cables have molded (as opposed to crimped) connectors, which means it's very hard to tell if there are manufacturing defects which can lead to shorts and/or fires, hence losing all your data.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

7 minutes ago, AbydosOne said:

The vast majority of Molex to SATA cables have molded (as opposed to crimped) connectors, which means it's very hard to tell if there are manufacturing defects which can lead to shorts and/or fires, hence losing all your data.

Let's just say a majority of these PSU cables like Molex to SATA, Molex to PCIe, Molex to P4, Molex to EPS, etc. are fire hazards. I've had a Molex to P4 connector catch fire while the system was unplugged. They're cheaply made for the most part.

[Gravemind]

1 minute ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Let's just say a majority of these PSU cables like Molex to SATA, Molex to PCIe, Molex to P4, Molex to EPS, etc. are fire hazards. I've had a Molex to P4 connector catch fire while the system was unplugged. They're cheaply made for the most part.

 

8 minutes ago, AbydosOne said:

The vast majority of Molex to SATA cables have molded (as opposed to crimped) connectors, which means it's very hard to tell if there are manufacturing defects which can lead to shorts and/or fires, hence losing all your data.

Is it seriously that big of an issue? I feel like it'd be brought up more as an issue if it weren't exceedingly rare.

[Blue4130]

14 minutes ago, Gravemind said:

 

Is it seriously that big of an issue? I feel like it'd be brought up more as an issue if it weren't exceedingly rare.

Google image search "molex adapter fire" and witness the carnage. If you need to use one, MAKE SURE it is the crimped style. The moulded ones are filled basically with hot glue, wires get a little warm and the glue softens enough to allow the wires to shift and short out.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

4 minutes ago, Gravemind said:

 

Is it seriously that big of an issue? I feel like it'd be brought up more as an issue if it weren't exceedingly rare.

https://www.crucial.com/support/articles-faq-ssd/dangerous-molex-to-sata-cables

It's a "big" issue in the sense that there are ones that are likely to catch fire and others that aren't. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The number of people using these adapters is low since these are mainly used for PSUs made prior to the mid 2000s, where SATA and P4 CPU power was relatively new. Nowadays PSUs don't even include Molex power connectors and the modern stuff that would've used Molex for power have since transitioned to SATA. You have fan hubs for instance that use SATA Power instead of Molex. 

[BondiBlue]

1 hour ago, Gravemind said:

Is it seriously that big of an issue? I feel like it'd be brought up more as an issue if it weren't exceedingly rare.

It used to be brought up more when power supplies without many SATA connectors were still in common use. Those are becoming less common these days, so it's not as big of an issue as it once was. Still, if you're using them make sure they aren't the molded style. If they are you should replace them with one that uses crimped connections. 

[Blue4130]

I'll toss this here for those who don't know what the different ones look like...

 

 

[Gravemind]

1 hour ago, Blue4130 said:

I'll toss this here for those who don't know what the different ones look like...

 

 

At least mine are like the kind on the right. Never even seen the left style.

Thanks.