Windows 10: What to do when i need more power cable and have a 2nd PSU?

First of all I'm very sorry if i post it in the wrong sector , please move it if i do because i couldn't tell where to post it.
Currently my PC runs fine , but i have no more 4 pin cable on my PSU , and i need more for a storage upgrade , and im thinking about using my old PSU for that , instead of buying a new one because i can't really afford it , so ...
Is it safe to power all my HDDs using the 2nd PSU and run the mobo , GPU on first PSU ?
and just curiousity could i power the GPU using the 2nd PSU too ? or its going to boom ? lol

:)

 

What power settings do I need to set to have Windows playback media with closed laptop lid and enter power saving mode when timeout is reached?

I want to listen to a radio station at night and have my laptop enter power saving mode when the timeout is reached while the laptop lid is closed.

But I don't seem to be able to set power settings appropriately.

Microsoft Edge stops playback immediately when closing the laptop lid. In contrast to this, Winamp, or Internet Explorer 11 or any other player, seem keeping Windows 10 from entering power save mode, so my laptop runs, playing back, all night long.

Which power settings do I need to set to have both (and other) players play back while having Windows 10 enter power save mode when its time has come?

 

What power settings do I need to set to have Windows playback media with closed laptop lid and enter power saving mode when timeout is reached?

Thanks for replying.

Actually I've set the sleep timeout to be 60 minutes. But when media players are playing back, the laptop
never enters sleep state.

This is nice when I'm watching a movie or during the day. But I want to create a dedicated power plan for the night which allows the PC to go to sleep, regardless of whether media is playing back or not.

I was hoping that the When sharing media setting might have some kind of influence, but it doesn't.

 

You can get 4-pin molex Y-cable then you'll have an extra one and if you need more then get an extra 4-pin then that would give you 3 extras. No need to use a second PSU

 

Also check the total load can be handled by your power supply.
Quality is a factor a good brand, like corsair will be more reliable than a cheap no-brand with higher power.

 

It is unadvisable to use two PSUs in a standard PC. The power supplies are switching supplies that have checks and balances between the PSU and the load they are powering. Two power supplies will upset this balance and may cause serious problems. It will be difficult to isolate the outputs from each other. Some high end servers may have two PSUs, but they are specially designed for it. PCs are not. Saying that, there are people who have used two PSUs but I would not do it myself.
+1 for Corsair PSUs and they should cover all your needs, but adapters like above may also help.

 

Hot swap has been about for years, again, the total load must be able to be handled by what's left if multiple supplies are being used.

Linking two common PC supplies would need a bit of hacking, the soft power up line needs linked over from the motherboard. You'd need to make sure that they are solidly grounded between the supplies so that there is no voltage difference between connecting lines.

 

Does the storage upgrade have to be internal or will external USB hard drive work?

 

I was going to write that HDs draw an insignificant amount of power, but I checked: a WDC Velociraptor (10k RPM drive) needs a peak current of 1.8A at 12V, or over 20W max. (The average power consumption for writing is less than 6W.)

Still, if your main PSU has any decent overhead, the Y connectors are the cheap and painless way to proceed.

But Molex connectors? That suggests PATA drives, or some first-generation SATA drives. Early 2000's at the latest? (No criticism intended. Just curious.)

 

If necessary you can use two PSUs but best if they are same. Problem of starting both of them at same time can be solved by something like this: Amazon.com: Vantacor Dual PSU Adapter Cable 24 Pin 2-way: Electronics

 

wow thanks for answering , but i believe that topgundcp's solution will work , my PSU doesnt have much of an overhead but i believe that 20~40W shouldnt be too much for it to handle