Molex power in G5

[xtempo]

I am wondering how many HDs and the DVD can I power in my G5. I currently only have my Time Machine HD backup connected. Is 3 the most it could do?
I'm looking around for things I need like HD cage from G4 or something similar and I need to get an extension So the cable can reach.

Currently I have it hooked up to the inside USB on one of my PCI cards and was thinking if I put in a SATA controll that can control 2 drives could I use it in my setup?

which would be 2 HDs hooked upto the inside USB port on the Belkin cards plus 2 on a SATA card would I be able to pull this off or just stick with having 2 or currently 1 extra HDs with 2 main ones and a DVD drive?

 

[Intelligent]

I am wondering how many HDs and the DVD can I power in my G5. I currently only have my Time Machine HD backup connected. Is 3 the most it could do?
I'm looking around for things I need like HD cage from G4 or something similar and I need to get an extension So the cable can reach.

Currently I have it hooked up to the inside USB on one of my PCI cards and was thinking if I put in a SATA controll that can control 2 drives could I use it in my setup?

which would be 2 HDs hooked upto the inside USB port on the Belkin cards plus 2 on a SATA card would I be able to pull this off or just stick with having 2 or currently 1 extra HDs with 2 main ones and a DVD drive?

What G5 Power mac, iMac or Xserve? Mactracker could solve that it has a lot of information on everything about it including ports etc. G5 is just a processor.

 

[Intell]

What G5? Mactracker could solve that. G5 is just a processor.

Does it really matter here? We know it's a PowerMac G5 and all PowerMac G5's have the same 2 SATA ports, 1 EIDE port, 1 molex port, and PCI/x/e slots for a SATA card.

 

[xtempo]

What G5 Power mac, iMac or Xserve? Mactracker could solve that it has a lot of information on everything about it including ports etc. G5 is just a processor.

its PMG5. I have it in my sig so maybe I thought it was clear but I am sorry for not putting that.

 

[robertdsc]

You can run a Molex splitter cable down from the Molex connection for the SuperDrive. I fit two SATA drives into my G5 (using a Molex to SATA splitter cable) that way.

The G5 Jive could fit three drives into the space just behind the front grill. My two SATA drives occupy a MDD drive cage in that same space.

You could remove the SuperDrive and plop an extra drive in there if you so choose, provided you can fit a SATA data cable from a PCI card to it.

 

[xtempo]

How much power will it drain? I mean its coming off one molex for say 5 or 6 HDs with or without the DVD drive wouldn't that overload the system? How many devices can be connected without causing any problems?

 

[robertdsc]

I have no way to know how much the power draw is, but I can operate a G4 MDD and G4 Digital Audio with six drives each without any problems.

A G5 with a SuperDrive and three hard drives shouldn't be much of a problem.

edit to add that with all three of my Macs, I have used Studio/Cinema Displays. Those also draw power through the ADC port and I haven't had any issues.

 

[Intell]

edit to add that with all three of my Macs, I have used Studio/Cinema Displays. Those also draw power through the ADC port and I haven't had any issues.

The Studio Displays draw power from a dedicated 28 volt bus that isn't shared by anything else. Having the display connected or not doesn't make any difference to the 12v bus' power output abilities.

 

[robertdsc]

The Studio Displays draw power from a dedicated 28 volt bus that isn't shared by anything else. Having the display connected or not doesn't make any difference to the 12v bus' power output abilities.

I figured as much. Just wanted to add that bit just in case. Thanks.

 

[Bug-Creator]

Dunno, but for a short time I had an IDE-HD laying above the DVD in my G5 as boot-drive for some early MorphOS builds. Just needed a standard 3 header IDE-cable and a molex-splitter.

Getting the HD in there was ..... well lets just say it drew some blood

 

[xtempo]

Thanks for the information and help. I might put another HD but i'll stick with the setup I have for awhile.

 

[Cox Orange]

So, your question is how much one can draw from the 12V line.

Like robertdsc said, Sonnet made a "Sonet G5 Jive", it was a cage that could carry 3 additional drives, added to the optical Drive and 2 HDDs already present. So, if Sonnet planned for three, I guess they were sure that it works (I hope ).
I would be interested in the very limit of the 12V line, though.

NZXT, bequiet, Silverstone, phobya and bitfenix make black IDE to 4x SATA power cables, if you like it black to match up with the original cables. I am in the process of working this out at the moment, too.

 

[robertdsc]

Dunno, but for a short time I had an IDE-HD laying above the DVD in my G5 as boot-drive for some early MorphOS builds. Just needed a standard 3 header IDE-cable and a molex-splitter.

Getting the HD in there was ..... well lets just say it drew some blood

Oh, snap.

I wonder if the optical drive can be taken out and a MDD cage with two drives set in its place. A dual IDE cable could fit onto the provided slot in the motherboard.

If I wasn't so spooked by working on that G5 case, I'd actually try that.

 

[xtempo]

Would it be over kill to have HD fans as well or is there enough cooling in the G5 that those I pretty much useless?

 

[Intell]

Would it be over kill to have HD fans as well or is there enough cooling in the G5 that those I pretty much useless?

There's enough air moving through a G5's case the negate the need for any additional fans.

 

[xtempo]

good I currently am using one though/ When I get the other HD and a cage or something I'll remove it. I was worried since the G3 and G4s I have had sometimes the case had to be opened since they were running hot.

 

[Cox Orange]

Oh, snap.

I wonder if the optical drive can be taken out and a MDD cage with two drives set in its place. A dual IDE cable could fit onto the provided slot in the motherboard.

If I wasn't so spooked by working on that G5 case, I'd actually try that.

I looked into it yesterday and it fits. Also if you rotate the caddy (I used a Sawtooth caddy) by 90° you can put 4 drives in there. With an extra SATA-PCI/X/e card the cabling should not be a problem, too.
I was also thinking about, if one could use a HDD and put a slim tray loading DVD-Drive on top of that, but it seems the tray would not align perfectly.

There's enough air moving through a G5's case the negate the need for any additional fans.

+1 since the Sonnet solution is not different.
@ OP: download this http://www.sonnettech.com/support/downloads/manuals/g5_jive_qsg.pdf and look how they place the drives for heat reference, you do not need to buy the Sonnet Jive, if you find another way to keep the Drives staying where they are, though. Oh, or see here, for a not so detailed look. http://www.sonnettech.com/product/g5_jive.html
I once had a Quad G5 with a Sonnet Jive for a few days in my hands and I it seems that it is ok for lower spec-ed G5s, but I suspect in the Quad the HDDs that's heat was blown into the CPUs directly added up to letting the fans spin faster earlier. Though I am not sure, if everything ws ok with tthis Quad, since it already came with a transport damage on the foot.

good I currently am using one though/ When I get the other HD and a cage or something I'll remove it. I was worried since the G3 and G4s I have had sometimes the case had to be opened since they were running hot.

I sometimes have 6 HDDs in my Sawtooth G4 (19-22°C room temperature) and a passively cooled Sonnet 1,2GHz 7455 CPU and I do not have a problem. Not questioning your statement, just saying.

 

[xtempo]

I have had a single HD with a hard drive fan in front of the fan where it shows the Sonnet goes since after posting the thread or around the beginning of it.

I have a fan screwed on to a HD but that probably is too much. I have to find some way to anchor the HD and possible 2 more if I choose to do that. I can't seem to find something I like so I might just try and fabricate something my self. I am also thinking of putting a laptop HD on top of the dvd drive though I would have to find an adapter.