Need an odd computer cable

[jonmulzer]

My gf's Dell died and since the cost of a replacement, proprietary power supply is too much I am just going to build her a new one. I see no reason to spend $60+ on Dell's one size fits none power supplies when I can build a new computer for ~$200. Now I am attempting to scavenge as much from this as I can, and that will not be much. The optical drives, hard drive, video card and flash card reader. The flash card reader takes a funky cable though. It is a Samsung FMD9410NDL1 and takes a 2x5 cable that I am assuming connects to a proprietary connection at the motherboard to the USB bus. It looks smaller than the usual USB motherboard header. Does anyone have a clue where I can get a USB male to (whatever this is) or even (whatever this is) to male USB header?

Google was no help, but you can find pics of this connector through there if you look. I am probably going to be SOL though and just order a new one. It is a shame, I cannot even use the case because there is no removable backplane and it is BTX design. I must say though that as much as I hate Dell for all their proprietary ways that this case is a masterpiece inside. Everything has a purpose and it is all quite neat and tidy. If only their power supplies did not have the odd pin-out.

[Bruce Cohen]

Jon,

Not sure if these guys can help you, but they had a specific type of RJ-45 male end I once needed when no one else even knew what I was talking about.

Hope they can help.

http://www.mycableshop.com/index.asp?CartId={9F8F5BC9-EVERESTFD29-4693-8EAC-1C9A0E14EDED}

Bruce

[sparkeyjames]

Is one of the holes in the motherboard connector end blocked off?

If so then this is a USB header cable. If your motherboard has the standardized
USB header ports on the motherboard 2 rows of 5 pins with one pin missing.
And usually labeled as a USB port.
Then there is where to plug it in. Align the missing pin with the blocked off
hole. Should work but since I cannot see what you have there I am of course
guessing based on a minor Google search on your device. Since all the DOC's I
could find stated it was a USB 2.0 device.

[Alex Franke]

Unless you can find a match, if it's not a standard header cable then it's probably cheaper just to buy a new card reader (~$5 external USB, or ~$10 internal at newegg.com) than have a new cable made to order...

[jonmulzer]

I will check out the cable shop, see if they might have it. If not I will just get a new one. The ones I like run around $20, I was just hoping to find a cable for a few bucks and not have to throw this away. It is not a USB header. I know what those look like. This one is narrower and is a full 10 pins. I have certainly built enough computers to know what those look like.

[sparkeyjames]

Although it is much less clutter for the desktop with an internal card reader. I have a External Sandisk 8in1 reader with a DOC station. I like having the portability as I have a laptop. There are now many models more capable than that one. Check New Egg.

[jonmulzer]

Looked there, no luck. I was just hoping someone might have ran into this before. Not worth the worry for $20 so I will just get another one.

It is amazing how Dell can make a minor issue into a huge hassle. AFAIK they are the only ones who have a proprietary pinout on their power supplies. I have 4-5 in the basement I could just pop in there and have it back up and running, but oooooooh no, that would be too easy. And then this proprietary cable. They have to order this stuff and have it designed in such a way to be a PITA. And people wonder why I dislike Dell so much.

And to top it all off, I wanted to remove the shroud that covers the heatsink to get better access to some other things and I notice two screws are holding it on. I thought holding it onto the heatsink. When I start to back them out I can feel that they have springs on them, but springs around screws is how heatsinks are held on and that was the case. The whole heatsink and all comes out and off the processor. So if you ever have to replace a front fan on a Dell make sure you have some TIM handy because you are going to need it for the BTX ones anyway.

I hate Dell!!

[Bruce Cohen]

Hey Jon,

And that's exactly why all my computers have been Macs.

Bruce

[jonmulzer]

If I had to take one of those apart, I would probably be throwing things again.

I have seen the inside of the new Mac Pros and it is like looking into the engine compartment of a BMW. You know there is all sorts of sexy hardware under there somewhere but it is all covered with fascias and other plastic stuff with their logo on it.

Of course working WITH a Mac Pro is like driving a BMW also. I will definitely give you that.

Edit: Now I cannot even get to the front fan and the front panel USB/Firewire/Audio is hooked up by what looks like a 1st gen IDE cable. Did they really need 39 conductors for that? Grrrrrrr....

[Alex Franke]

It is amazing how Dell can make a minor issue into a huge hassle. AFAIK they are the only ones who have a proprietary pinout on their power supplies. I have 4-5 in the basement I could just pop in there and have it back up and running, but oooooooh no, that would be too easy. And then this proprietary cable. They have to order this stuff and have it designed in such a way to be a PITA. And people wonder why I dislike Dell so much.

Hey let me check at work tomorrow to see if they're sending any Dell PS's off to cybertrash. I'm pretty sure we turn over the boxes pretty frequently and all I've ever seen there is Dell. Maybe I can score one for you....

[jonmulzer]

That would be great! From what I know though, Dell has 3-4 different pinouts on their power supplies. This is a Dimension 5100. I will probably still build her a new one but if you can get me a power supply I will stick this pile of parts back together and get it to someone in need through charity. No sense in it going to the scrapheap over a power supply when everything else works. Just let me know what I owe you if you find one.

[rnelson0]

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal....php?cPath=250

There's your internal USB cables. I typically buy cables at www.monoprice.com (HDMI cables in particular are a fraction of the hundreds that even walmart wants to fleece you for if you need any actual length to the cable) but they don't appear to make internal USB cables.

Don't forget, you can always pick up the phone and call Semco, the manufacturer.

[dkerfoot]

Hey Jon,

And that's exactly why all my computers have been Macs.

Bruce

Yes, it is wonderful to be free from choice. So much better to have all of your hardware and software dictated to you.

[JSUPreston]

I'm not sure if this applies to you or not, but Dell quit using proprietary power supplies a while back. However, they did have to move to a 24 pin header for the newer systems, as did a lot of the industry. I know with the Dell I bought last year, I swapped the stock power supply with one I got at the local Comp. Ren. with no problem. I needed the extra juice to power a 512MB PCIe video card.

[jonmulzer]

That is odd then. I must have an oddball. It is 24 pin but the green power-on lead is not where it should be so it is proprietary. I was not aware they went to the industry standard that everyone else had been using since ATX came out.