PSU Mobo connector 20 vs 24 pin Main Connector?

[Woodcycl]

A friend asked me to troubleshoot her HP computer where the morning after a thunderstorm it would not turn on. After several tests, I've taken out the PSU and installed one of my good old spares. However, I quickly noticed that the main connector on the original/bad PSU and the mobo connector are 24 pin and my old spare (and every other PSU I've used) is a 20 in. Given I have never noticed this difference in main connector pin count, I looked it up on wikipedia and now see that the 24 pin is a newer config. So, I simply plugged my 20 pin main connector in to the mobo connector to one side (where 4 pin connectors are left empty on one side) and took the 4 pin connector and plugged it in to the 4 pin connector on the mobo. The PC did power up as expected.

My question is this ... Do I need to order a PSU with the 24 pin connector or can I simply use the current config just the same? I don't want to do anything or recommend a config to my friend that may potentially cause damage or a problem in the long run.

Thanks.

[Rocketmech]

The extra 4 wires help provide additional 75w power to PCI-e . Its not required to power the mobo, but you will likely need it if you decide to run a power hungry PCI-e video card. You can find 24 to 20 pin adapters easy enough.

[Woodcycl]

Thanks for the info -- just ordered a new Sparkle with 24 pin connector from Newegg.