Extension Cord for Gaming PC?

[JacobKS]

Hi, I'd like to know if there's a compatibility needed and if it's also possible to use an extension cord to a gaming PC. I'm planning to move my setup where my wall sockets are too far.

 

My PC, monitor, desk fan plugged into a one power strip, and that power strip is plugged into the wall socket without a problem so far.

 

I plan to keep it as it is but instead the power strip being connected to the wall. I plan to connect it to a very long extension cord and that long extension cord is connected to the wall socket.

 

My PC specs if that helps. i7-11700k, 5500 XT, 4x8gb RAM, PSU 850W plat, standard 1080p 60hz monitor. Specs of the cord I plan to use is on the pic below.

 

Thankssss.

[bezza...]

aslong as you dont overwhelm it it is fine

[LWM723]

Use a 12 gauge grounded cord.

[An0maly_76]

You're going to need something fairly heavy duty with three-pronged receptacle and plug. Probably 10-12 gauge wire.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, JacobKS said:

Hi, I'd like to know if there's a compatibility needed and if it's also possible to use an extension cord to a gaming PC. I'm planning to move my setup where my wall sockets are too far.

 

My PC, monitor, desk fan plugged into a one power strip, and that power strip is plugged into the wall socket without a problem so far.

 

I plan to keep it as it is but instead the power strip being connected to the wall. I plan to connect it to a very long extension cord and that long extension cord is connected to the wall socket.

 

My PC specs if that helps. i7-11700k, 5500 XT, 4x8gb RAM, PSU 850W plat, standard 1080p 60hz monitor. Specs of the cord I plan to use is on the pic below.

 

Thankssss.

Is that cord even grounded?  Looks pretty cheap.  Are you in the U.S.?

 

[JacobKS]

14 hours ago, LWM723 said:

Use a 12 gauge grounded cord.

what's that, can you give a link as an example?

 

14 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

You're going to need something fairly heavy duty with three-pronged receptacle and plug. Probably 10-12 gauge wire.

Can you give me also an example about this 10-12 gauge wire?

 

6 hours ago, jonnyGURU said:

Is that cord even grounded?  Looks pretty cheap.  Are you in the U.S.?

 

I'm sorry, what do you mean by if the cord is grounded? Yep, pretty cheap but reliable brand. I'm in the Philippines.

[Guest]

14 hours ago, JacobKS said:

what's that, can you give a link as an example?

 

Can you give me also an example about this 10-12 gauge wire?

 

I'm sorry, what do you mean by if the cord is grounded? Yep, pretty cheap but reliable brand. I'm in the Philippines.

Ok. So.. no offense.. you don't know much.

 

That's dangerous.

 

I highly question the reliability of that brand.  At least that extension cord.  Maybe people are using that particular one for fans or maybe lamps.

 

Looks like this is the one you're looking at:

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/omni-dual-portable-extension-cord-set-6-meter-wire-wdp-306-buildmate-power-strip-i261898607-s361861336.html

 

Are  your outlets grounded?  Do you have an Earth ground on your power plugs?

 

Philippines use the same plugs as the U.S.  Two prongs mean they're not grounded, so they're good for lamps or maybe cooling fans.  Three prongs have a ground which is what you want for electronics.

 

 

 

[An0maly_76]

19 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

You're going to need something fairly heavy duty with three-pronged receptacle and plug. Probably 10-12 gauge wire.

 

5 hours ago, JacobKS said:

what's that, can you give a link as an example?

 

Can you give me also an example about this 10-12 gauge wire?

 

I'm sorry, what do you mean by if the cord is grounded? Yep, pretty cheap but reliable brand. I'm in the Philippines.

 

Okay, so there's an old saying, "What you don't know, won't hurt you." While that may be true of some situations, it isn't in this one. In this situation, what you don't know can actually seriously harm and kill you and others. Posts here give me the impression that you are in the Phillipines, and that US-style electrical wiring and plugs / receptacles are used there. Forgive my ignorance if I have misunderstood, but the information I give here is still accurate.

 

Here is an image depicting US-style receptacles and plugs, a chart indicating AWG (American Wire Gauge) requirements according to circuit length and current draw. A chart depicting what AWG correlates to in wire thickness can be found further down. The chart directly below, from left to right, indicates the AWG required for safety in correlation to the amperage load column it is in, based on the top-to-bottom progression of distance the circuit travels. I'll explain this further below.

 

 

Quick and dirty, electrical current is measured in amperes. Though mixing liquids and electricity should never be done and is extremely dangerous, just for the purposes of education for the moment, think of wire size as similar to pipe size. Just as larger pipes can carry a higher volume of liquid, the larger the wire, the more current it can flow. So think of current as a volume measurement of electricity. That volume of flow is measured in amperes, while voltage is merely a potential of that current that determines how weak or strong that current can be.

 

However, because higher current draw requires larger wires, this also increases impedance, or resistance, in a circuit. When that current travels longer distances, such as through an extension cord, it increases the impedance (resistance) in the circuit, which increases potential for heat buildup and overload, which are extremely dangerous.

 

The left side of the picture shows US-style plugs and receptacles. The plug and receptacle on the left are what you are using, which is fine for low-current loads of less than, say 3-5 amperes that are okay to operate without an earth ground. The ones on the right are thicker and add an earth ground, which provides protection against overloading, overheating and short circuits.

 

The cord you are using is ungrounded, which is quite dangerous due to the load (current) it is being expected to carry. That's one problem. With residential and commercial / industrial alternating current, larger amperage loads of over 1-3 amperes generally require a grounded plug and receptacle, as shown above. If your receptacles are ungrounded, they and their wiring should be replaced with those that comply. Alternately, there are adapters available that can help reduce the risk of shock, but they do nothing to reduce the risk of overloading or fire.

 

 

The other problem is that the electrical load it is being expected to carry (the equipment being powered) is higher amperage and requires larger wires in the first place. Also, the added length the power must travel increases resistance, and thereby amperage and wire size requirements. Think of this as similar to your ability to carry a certain weight a certain distance before you must stop to rest. But in the case of an electrical circuit, electricity will not simply stop to rest. Overloading can and will increase risk of and cause potentially fatal electrical shock, overheating, and fire.

 

To explain the chart on the right further in order to help you understand, wire size is generally rated in terms of AWG (American Wire Gauge), indicating the required thickness of the wire in order to safely carry a certain load a certain distance. However, remember that the AWG rating system is backward in that lower AWG means larger wires, higher AWG means smaller wires. So a 4-gauge wire is actually larger than a 10-gauge wire.

 

So basically, the wires in the cord you are using are too small for the amount of electrical current needed to power your PC, which poses a risk of overloading, overheating, and fire. But the load your PC puts on the circuit requires a ground in the first place, which compounds the risk of electrical shock as well. Without an integral ground, electrical current will have the potential to "jump" (arc) to a source of ground, and it will take the path of least resistance, which is likely to be anything nearby through which it can travel. And this is very dangerous, because the electricity present in household and commercial / industrial settings is very high voltage and can kill you, for the reasons cited above. So don't trust the 1000W rating listed on that cord's package, the wires are clearly not capable of handing that kind of current draw. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, electrical loads and potentials are horrendously mis-rated, misunderstood and generally disregarded, and this is VERY dangerous, even to the point of being fatal.

 

To help you better understand the correct size wire needed for a given load and circuit length per the above chart on the right, here is another chart explaining how AWG translates to diameters in millimeters and inches.

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info