What is a modular font and what is its importance?

When looking for a power supply, one of its most visible aspects is modularity, something that has to do with how its wiring is managed. For many it is something mandatory, while other users do not know the meaning of the concept.

In this article, we will explain what a modular source is and we will delve into its importance, as well as its advantages and disadvantages, so we invite you to stay with us even if you already know the concept. Let's start!

Index of contents

Fixed cabling sources: a problem to solve

The most common and cheapest sources are non-modular or fixed wiring. As its name suggests, its cables are fixed to the internal circuit of the source, and exit through a small hole in the back to be mounted on a computer, as we show you in the image.

This is something that seems reasonable for a source with just a few connectors, but when we talk about power supplies with a good number of cables, in most cases some will be unused, completely loose in the box, something that It is quite annoying. This is a problem that modular cabling comes to solve.

Modular sources

A modular source replaces all of that tangle of cables with female connectors on the back of the source. So, instead of having a totally fixed wiring, we have the possibility to connect and disconnect only the cables that we need, so the cables that we do not use will no longer bother.

Thus, if for example a source includes 4 connectors for graphics cards and we only need to use 1, we will only connect the necessary cable at the rear of the source and from there to the components, being able to completely disconnect the other 3 cables. If the source were not modular, the cables that remain unused would be disconnected from the equipment but not from the source, causing a hindrance in organizing the wiring.

The first modular fountain on the market came out in 2004, and was manufactured by the late Ultra brand. In fact, it was a patented design, which even led to legal proceedings against other companies. Today, all brands offer some modular series, it is no longer something reserved for a few models, so it is crucial to know the concept.

Semi-modular sources

Not all modular power supplies on the market come with 100% loose cables. Semi-modular sources bring some fixed cables, generally the vital ones (ATX + CPU), and sometimes others very used like the PCIe cables.

This type of design is used to strike a balance between the low price of fixed cabling sources and the versatility of those that are 100% modular.

In the photo above you can see this system, in which the cables for storage and graphics cards can be connected or disconnected as necessary to mount the equipment or not, while the ATX and CPU, mandatory in all equipment, not can be disconnected.

Why should you choose a modular font?

Versatility

Without a doubt, the most remarkable thing about a modular source is the versatility offered by not connecting more than the necessary cables. This encourages us to choose more models of power and connectors, since if it were fixed wiring we would try to have the right connectors so as not to hinder the assembly of the equipment. With a modular source, having extra connectors is not a problem, but a great advantage.

Improved and facilitated cable management

If you mount a non-modular source, it is very likely that you will have enough cables. As we already said, this is a great hindrance to the organization of the wiring, and even to the internal cooling of the box in some cases. Instead, with a modular source you only connect the necessary cables, and you will hardly have any connectors left over. That way you can organize the cables in your box much better.

Also, if you need to remove the source from your box, being modular you can limit yourself to disconnecting the cables from the source side, while they remain connected to the components, saving you the time it takes to reorganize the wiring.

You can choose cables with 'sleeving' or other customizations

The customized cables with 'sleeving' stand out for having colored meshes that bring aesthetics and personality to the PC, as seen in the photo.

A modular source allows you to create your own cables with handmade sleeving, or buy a ready-made kit like the one we show you in the photo, since you can completely change all the wiring. If the source were not modular, you would have to desolder the cables from the inside, something excessively dangerous and that invalidates the guarantee, or limit yourself to using extensions.

Why shouldn't you choose a modular font?

Not all are advantages in modular cabling. There are several drawbacks that we must take into consideration before buying:

Price

Modular cabling greatly increases the cost of production, making its price much higher than a non-modular variant. Also, if you are on a tight budget, it is very likely that you will find cheap models that stand out for having modular wiring, but whose internal quality is rather low. You must bear in mind that quality comes first, so if you want a good modular font you are going to have to spend a little more money. If your idea is to spend little, our recommendation is that you do not prioritize modularity over quality.

Non-universal connectors

Obviously, all sources come standardized connectors to be compatible with any component. However, the connectors to the modular boards of the power supplies are not standard. With some exceptions, there is no compatibility between modular connectors of different brands and models.

What problem does this pose? Well, you must be careful not to lose the cables of your source or mix them with those of another. If you lose them, you depend on the manufacturer and how lucky you are, since spare parts are not always sold separately, although it is normal for them to be sold.

In fact, sometimes there is negligence on the part of the manufacturers. There are sources that have the modular board designed in such a way that some electrically incompatible connectors can be connected in the wrong place. It is something quite rare that we have not detected, at least in the latest models that arrived in our laboratory.

Is it possible that some mounts are more annoying?

Sometimes the remedy is worse than the disease. Modular fonts are generally a very positive thing. Still, we can have problems in boxes with very little space for the source, where the added length of the modularity makes it difficult to assemble the equipment. It is something very rare, which will not be seen in almost any case.

On the other hand, if we do not have any cables in the source that we buy, the modular one ends up being annoying, since connecting and managing all the cables one by one is more laborious than taking them from the same place. This is not an absolute truth, since the user may no longer need all of them after a component update. In addition, the normal thing is to choose sources that are left in power and connectors. So we can say that this controversial point is not true in the vast majority of scenarios.

How does a modular font influence the quality and performance of a font?

A modular source does not have to be of higher internal quality than a non-modular one.

The Internet is riddled with disinformation, and there is a fairly widespread myth that " modular sources are of better quality than those of fixed wiring ". This is completely false, since modularity does not directly influence aspects related to the quality of the source. There are a lot of poor quality modular sources, with false specifications and certificates, much worse than other non-modular models.

A good example of a quality non-modular font is the Bitfenix Formula that we reviewed a few months ago, a model that proved to offer a very sophisticated interior at a low price. We can also mention the Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro, with semi-modular wiring.

A few years ago, it was even recommended not to buy modular sources because they affected their efficiency and voltages, and because " the connectors could easily corrode or burn ." The truth is that almost a decade later the panorama is not like that. There are a large number of very high quality modular sources, with guarantee periods of up to 12 years, extremely precise voltage control and extremely high efficiency. In fact, the most efficient source on the market, the Corsair AX1600i, is fully modular. It all depends on the quality of the source, the sophistication of its internal components and the decisions of the engineers who design them, not on the modularity.

In fact, modular connector plates like the one shown in the photo allow you to add additional capacitors to filter the output of the power supply. With all this we want to explain to you that modular cabling is not and will not be a sign of quality, efficiency, protection or internal sophistication.

Final words and conclusion

Having explained all the points that influence the modularity of the power supplies, it is time to give the final recommendation. Modular source yes or no? Our answer is yes, unless you have a tight budget. If you have a large budget, modular fonts provide very notable advantages. However, if you want to spend little on your power supply, you must prioritize quality and safety above all.

Do you want to choose your font well? Check out our updated guide to the best power supplies!

The modular cabling system is a good thing, but it has no direct influence on the quality of the source, the latter being a very important point. Remember that a low quality font can take your team ahead! What did you think of our article? Do you prefer a modular font? Which one do you use? Do not hesitate to send your comment if you have something to say!