How to Connect Power Supply to Motherboard?

Many of us have been in situations when we want to build a PC & don’t know how to connect the power supply to the motherboard. Power Supply is used to power up our motherboard and hard drive. Without it, our computer cannot work properly. So it’s really important to connect it properly.

When you simply look at the power supply, you’ll find a lot of cables there. Not a good sign right? But there is a good sign and that is all of the power supply connectors are built in such a way that can be connected in a single direction. But still, how can we properly connect it to our motherboard?

HERE’S THE KICKER! In this guide, we are going to show a beginner-friendly step by step process of how you can connect your power supply to your motherboard. We assure you you won’t have any problems after you go through this article. Let’s start.

How to Connect Power Supply to Motherboard? Step By Step (Video Included)

1. Inserting the Power Supply:

This is the simplest thing to do but an important one. You need to insert your PSU into the location of your case.

Now the orientation of the power supply may differ considering how the power supply is the case is built. The real tasks start from the next steps.

2. Connecting 24 (20+4) Pin Power Cable to the Motherboard:

This is the main power connector.  This can be both a 20+4 pin connector or a direct 24 pin connector. But note it down that, if you have an old motherboard it can be a 20 pin connector. So if you see that it is a 20 pin motherboard power connection then you have to plug in the 20 pins skipping the other 4 pins. Also, check the How to Check Power Supply Wattage?

However, most of the motherboards these days require a 24 pin connector. You have to plug in the pin connector to the motherboard. Take your time & make sure it is inserted all the way. You can give a soft push but make sure it is plugged in very securely & does not come out in the future. You can always check your motherboard manual if you’re having any problems.

3. Connecting 4 /4+4/ 8 pin CPU Power Cable to the Motherboard:

Next up, you need to provide power to your CPU. To do this, you need to connect the 8 pin power supply cable to the motherboard. You will find the pin connection near the CPU socket.

Most of the motherboards require 8 pins. So you can search for the 4 + 4 pin arrangement. But some motherboards need just 4. That is why in this case, you have to plug in one 4 pin header.  Just like the 24 pin power cable, plug this one carefully too.

4. Connecting the 6 or 8 pins PCIe Power Cable to Graphics Card:

Most of the graphics cards we use these days must get a power connection from the power supply. But your GPU is a low-powered one it will receive all the power from the PCIe. You Can Also check the How to Test a Motherboard With a Multimeter.

Nevertheless, we told you before that most of the graphics cards require a direct power connection. So if it does so, it’s going to be either a 6 pin/ 8 pin connector or it can require both if it’s really powerful. You can check your specs to be sure about it.

The power supply will at least have two PCIe cables and they are mostly 6+2 pin connectors. So you can plug either 6 or 8 pin connections on your GPU.

5. Connecting the SATA Power Cable:

The SATA connectors job is to power the storage drives such as the SSDs & HDDs. The SATA data cables are included with your motherboard. So in this process, you have to connect this device (HDDs, SSDs or DVD drives). Also, check the How To Fix Your Computer If The Power Supply Is Okay.

You must connect one part to the hard drive and the other end to its SATA slot. If you have a thin SSD, insert it carefully into the motherboard cause it does not require any power cables & it’s completely powered by the motherboard itself.

6. Other Connections:

• Connect the SATA connector or Molex connector for the coolers or the case fans.
• If you have USB 3.0 slots then you have to connect the USB 3.0 connector.
• Connect the USB Headers.
• Connect the HD Audio Header.
• To activate the LEDs and power buttons on your case you must connect the power SW, Reset SW and LED indicators header into your motherboard.

Points to be Noted:

1. The SATA connectors are replacing the Molex connector day by day. So check first which one you’ll need.
2. Always try to plug the cables softly & firmly.
3. Sometimes the fans you are using can create a bit of noise. However, if you really want to change it you can do it by using software to control how fast the fans spin.
4. If you are using a Molex connector, connect them properly with a soft push.
5. When connecting all the cables are done, try to tie them up and keep them clean & tidy as much as you can.

Final Thoughts

That was our guide on how to connect the power supply to the motherboard as a complete beginner. Hope, we have covered all the parts which you need to set everything up properly. Also, read the How To Fix Your Power Supply Not Working?

Still, if you cannot complete it or having any trouble, do not worry at all. Just leave a comment or you can send a mail to us regarding any queries that you have. We will be more than happy to help you out.

Stay safe & Thank you for staying with us all this time.