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I just purchased a new power supply (PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Watt) for a machine that I'm building and it doesn't come with a standard sized AC power cable connector.

This supply comes with two power cables that are both gauge 3 and have connectors similar to that of a washer/dryer.

Since I'm renting my apartment at this point, I clearly cannot modify the power outlets to accommodate this type of connection. Is it possible/safe to use standard AC power cables with this power supply? The pictures from Newegg show a standard AC power cord so I would imagine this is perfectly acceptable.

Additionally, I don't see a switch for 115-240V like I'm used to, how does this know which voltage to use?

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Yes, you should be fine with a normal power cable. Also, most modern power supplies are auto-switching, which explains the lack of the 120/240v switch. Basically, the power supply automatically adjusts to handle the input voltage.

I am curious about where the unusual power cable you have came from. Normal American (from the newegg link I assume you are American) 120v power connection is capable of handling 1500W+

Is it possible you accidentally received a european power cable?

Also, where are you getting 3 gauge? A single conductor of 3 [AWG][1] is .23" in diameter, and there are three of them in your standard power cable. A random survey of power cables I have floating about shows most of them to be 18 AWG (with wire gauge, larger numbers means smaller diameter). It's possible that you have a 3/18AWG cable, which means three conductor, 18 AWG.

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Thanks for the input, I actually bought this from a local MicroCenter store not Newegg (that link was just to show the components) - and you're dead-on with the 3/18 analysis as I found it written directly on my "standard" wire. The ones provided just said 3G which was confusing me. I also just talked to a friend who agrees that this should work just fine. – John Rasch Feb 7 '10 at 4:15
After finally getting the whole machine up and running, you certainly can use a standard AC power cord, thanks again! – John Rasch Feb 7 '10 at 9:09
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Most modern PSU's have internal mechanisms to adjust for the 115-240V jump today. My Corsair PSU's do not have the switch, but can work on both. It is auto adjusting. So you should be able to use your regular power cable instead.

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