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wautersaf895c
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April 26th, 2025 11:13
Tower ECT1250, help adding extra hard drive, need SATA_PWR Cable
Hi everyone,
I'm trying to add an extra SATA III hard drive to my Dell Tower ECT1250, but I'm a bit stuck and could use some guidance.
I bought the drive, but it didn't come with any cables or mounting hardware. After opening up the case, I noticed there's a 6-pin mini SATA_PWR connector on the motherboard, but I'm not sure which official Dell cable I need to power the new drive.
Has anyone added a hard drive to this model or know the exact cable part number or where to get a compatible one?
Thanks in advance for any help!
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Posted July 19th, 2025 23:05
I was able to purchase a 6 pin mini to Sata Power cable from Amazon. I had to rewire it, which was fairly simple. Pins 1,2.3=3.25vdc 4,5.6=GND(COM) 7,8,9=5vdc 10,11,12=GND(COM) 13,14,15 =12vdc
There are five wire from the 6 pin connector each one of the 5 wires corresponds to the voltages and ground
The data cable is standard. Used a little 2 sided tape to secure the Sata SSD.
Running 2 TB SATA SSD
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Posted August 9th, 2025 23:08
Here is my final solution after some interim uses of the HDD as a external (although installed internally HDD).
Parts: new ECT1250 Computer, as received from Dell. Data hard drive and SATA data cable reused from old computer (this includes two hard drive mounting screws). Purchased new Furlet HDD SATA power cable for Dell Inspiron 3653…, price $4.99 + tax from Amazon.
Note that the the 6 pin connector on the SATA power cable (only 5 pins in use), has 4 of the 5 cables going to the wrong location on the motherboard.
Although I purchased a 36 piece connector pin removal kit, the metal tips of even the smallest pieces were WAY to large to insert and move the little clip that allows pulling out the pins to push into the correct position.
Instead, I opted to clip 4 of the 5 wires, strip back the insulation and use a heat gun to melt the center solder connection onto the wires and also clamp over the insulated wire about an inch in each direction.
See the attached picture to show which wire goes to which pin on the connector and which needs to be swapped by pin or by splicing the wires as I did.
I then wrapped each heat shrink connector with electrical tape as well as then taping the bundle.
This totally solved my issue for a permanent mount without external power supply, and although it was a month of research and iterations, I received great information on this site.Also view how I mounted the HDD to the computer front frame, since the carrier tray doesn’t for this frame due to the exhaust vent location.
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Posted March 25th, 2026 21:59
As an enhancement to this thread, please see the below video regarding part upgrades. It'll quickly go over viewing specifications for our models and possible part purchases on the support site as applicable:
Dell PC Computer Upgrade | Part Compatibility
Otherwise, I would refer to user @RubaRocks comment with the linked 3.5in HDD kit or contact Dell Spare Part Sales.
(edited)
DELL-Daniel V
#IWork4Dell
Digital Support Forum LiaisonNew to Community? Check our FAQ!
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Posted May 5th, 2025 14:52
Hello. I am also running into this issue. I cannot seem to find the SATA power cable that I need. Dell support suggested this Hard drive.
Dell 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6Gbps 3.5in Hard Drive(edited)
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Posted May 7th, 2025 23:54
This is the cable what you need, pretty sure it has to be a Dell oder:
I made a YT video about this model and like it a lot, but I also miss this cable and the HDD-SSD caddy !
YT: https://youtu.be/NrwWfuGkab4?si=b7fWUSWfRlaFYnrI
Hope this helps, let me know if you need anything else!
Scott
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Posted May 8th, 2025 13:10
Thank you for your response.
I did purchase this cable a few days ago, and it seemed to fit but the PC does not turn on when I connect it.
I will call Dell and give him the details on that cable that you shared.
Thanks
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Posted May 8th, 2025 13:39
It sounds like it’s shorting the motherboard out!
I am so afraid to use any third party cables because of this possibility, but Dell should of included this cable at the beginning.
if not, the parts store should be fully stocked and ready to go!
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Posted May 9th, 2025 17:01
I just got the same computer ETC1250 and went to put in a HDD only to find there is no place to mount it and no power cord. After hours on chat and phone with dell tech and sales, they say the power cable PN 5GBWK is in stock for $24.99 . Didn't ask about shipping. The drive bay is not available but to check back in 2-3 weeks. I did not ask how much that would be.
For a computer that was advertised as HDD expandable, I am disappointed that these were not included and may just return it, since right now the only option for additional storage would be an external drive.
Did find a power cable that looks compatible, $9.75 for 2 plus 5$ shipping But it too may have the wrong pinout since it does have a different part number. GP2JM 15-inch(38cm)
Can't find any specs on the motherboard VN-ON8YOX so I can't tell what the 6 pin connector is putting out without testing it.
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Posted May 9th, 2025 18:02
I will grab my multi meter and check the original Dell cable and see what we have there. Dell is very good to creat an affordable desktop which will work for 90% of the people but will charge you if you want any of the options after the purchase.
This is the bay:
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DELL-Nat M
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Posted April 7th, 2026 16:47
If your system is under warranty and you're experiencing this or a similar issue, we recommend using the Get Help Now chat for faster support.
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