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+--- Thread: cables and power supply for NAS 3.0 TB drive (/showthread.php?tid=12048)
cables and power supply for NAS 3.0 TB drive - Enquiries - 05-30-2025
I need to know what cables and power supply is needed for a WD Red 3.0 TB drive.. The cables and supply for older drives do not fiit
RE: cables and power supply for NAS 3.0 TB drive - ed - 06-06-2025
Thanks for getting in touch!
For a WD Red 3.0TB NAS hard drive, you’ll need the following standard components:
SATA Data Cable – This connects the drive to your motherboard or NAS controller. It’s a slim, flat cable — usually red or black.
SATA Power Connector – This comes from your power supply (PSU). Modern power supplies include these by default, but some older ones only have Molex connectors. If that’s the case, you can use a Molex-to-SATA power adapter.
Power Supply – Any modern ATX power supply with SATA power connectors will work. If you're using this drive in a NAS enclosure, it will already have the proper power and data ports inside. If you're building your own setup (like in a custom PC or server), just make sure the PSU has at least one SATA power cable per drive.
It sounds like the older cables you have might be Molex-based or IDE, which won’t fit modern SATA drives — so you’re right that they’re not compatible.