Power Supply for 2.5” HDD – Requirements and Options

power supply

I have 2.5'' Toshiba HDD which requires DC +5V/1.1A. I also have power supply with DC 12V/2A and 5V/2A output. It uses MOLEX connector (12V on pin1, 5V on pin4) with reduction to SATA connector. Can I connect it to the HDD to safely power it?

To be more specific: is the HDD aware of the dangerous yellow 12V line?
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Best Answer

Yes, provided (a) the pin connections are correct, and (b) it is a regulated PSU that does actually give the voltages stated, even under no load conditions. If in doubt check with a multimeter.

The 2.5" and 3.5" power and data SATA connectors are identical, BTW, although whilst 3.5" drives typically require 12v and 5v, most 2.5" drives only use the 5v supply. The SATA power connector also carries 3.3v, (orange) but AFAIK that is never used by any modern drive.

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