So who's going to invent a front panel connector...

wandplus

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
370
that actually makes sense. The other day I transferred a motherboard to another case and could not believe this is 2021. I mean you have to manipulate these tiny little connectors that make you want to go INSANE. How can anyone overlook this?
 
As for why the mb doesn't have a single standard header, it's because they don't all have the same features. Some have multiple options for certain things, too. like one set of pins is reset, while another is reset and boot to efi. And some have certain pins located away from the rest entirely (for who knows what reason), so a single connector wouldn't work at all in that case.

Some motherboards come with a connecter that you plug your wires into first and then the whole thing into the board. Much easier and im surprised its not very common

It really is a good idea. Although it doesn't cut down on the mess of wires, it sure makes plugging them all in easier.
 
Big issue is that the front panel connectors have never been standarized, it has been the wild west since they started using them. Now at this point it would cause too many issues to switch to a new standard, so we just keep going with the mess we have.
 
Big issue is that the front panel connectors have never been standarized, it has been the wild west since they started using them. Now at this point it would cause too many issues to switch to a new standard, so we just keep going with the mess we have.

Yet they seem to be pretty similar most of the time, the new NZXT case has 1 connector for the power button etc.. why would they even do this if it would not work for most if not all motherboards
 
I've had problems with long video cards where the Q-connector (Asus branding) wouldn't fit under the video card.
 

Even if Asus standardised their header, no one else uses it so it is pretty much the same as it was before. Until every other company decides to use the same layout things will never change. I have seen a lot of crazy ones on older systems, I have one old mobo that has all the headers plug into the edge of the board on right angle pins in a straight line. I have another board that has the power switch and reset in the normal place, then the power led, HD led, and speaker in random places on the board.
 
Yes it has a standard but not really as most don't bother to use it.
MSI is the only one that comes to mind that mostly follows it

Intel 9 pin front panel connector

Thats the problem though, it isnt a standard if only one company uses it, and everyone does their own. Imagine if hard drives werent all the same size and you had to deal with them being all shapes and sizes. Or if heatsink mounting varied depending on the motherboard maker, and a heatsink would only work on certain boards by certain makers. Or if every board used a different PSU power header, and you had to get the specific PSU that only worked with your board.
 
Thats the problem though, it isnt a standard if only one company uses it, and everyone does their own. Imagine if hard drives werent all the same size and you had to deal with them being all shapes and sizes. Or if heatsink mounting varied depending on the motherboard maker, and a heatsink would only work on certain boards by certain makers. Or if every board used a different PSU power header, and you had to get the specific PSU that only worked with your board.
To me it's not the big issue. I think it's trying to hold the tiny connectors one by one and connecting them to the tiny individual pins. I think it should be one larger connector.
 
That is why case makers had to do it that way, every board has both different locations and order of pin headers. What works on one board wont work on a different one. One board may have the power and reset switch headers next to each other, another board may have them 3 pins apart, and another board have it on the bottom row.
 
That is why case makers had to do it that way, every board has both different locations and order of pin headers. What works on one board wont work on a different one. One board may have the power and reset switch headers next to each other, another board may have them 3 pins apart, and another board have it on the bottom row.

They didn't have to make them that way. They could have came up with a better design, then engineer an adapter to make it compadible with older systems. Like how 20 pin to 24 pin motherboard power connectors eventually changed and adapters were made for legacy systems.
 
My Intel case has this ribbon connector for the front panel stuff. It plugged right into my Intel Xeon motherboard.
But to use the case with a standard ATX motherboard, I had to make an adapter.
IMG_0860.JPG
 
They didn't have to make them that way. They could have came up with a better design, then engineer an adapter to make it compadible with older systems. Like how 20 pin to 24 pin motherboard power connectors eventually changed and adapters were made for legacy systems.

Yeah that what Ive pretty much said this entire thread, they could have standardized it at some point, but they never did. I still keep hoping they will eventually do so, as it is a pain checking manuals or online for every board to make sure you plug it up correctly.
 
Yes, yes, and yes
Also, bring back chassis speakers.

Chassis speakers are still a thing according to my sig rig.
I actually upgraded my chassis speaker a few months back with a louder one.
 
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Yes, yes, and yes
Also, bring back chassis speakers.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen a while a case that uses the chassis intrusion connector.

By the way, the way I connect these things is I face the letters on the bottom row down and the ones on the top row I face the letters upwards. Is this correct?
 
Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen a while a case that uses the chassis intrusion connector.

By the way, the way I connect these things is I face the letters on the bottom row down and the ones on the top row I face the letters upwards. Is this correct?

All of them should be face down.
 
GIGABYTE has their own version of this called a "G-connector".
I had got with my AORUS Elite X570 well the Asus implementation is much better the "G-connector" is just a cheap plastic holder for the cases front panel plugs and the metal retainer to separate the 2 rows always comes out!
Not often I have to mess with that though
 
I am fine with the connectors but why do some motherboards remove the pinout labeling for them on the motherboard itself? Now I have to open the manual to get the correct pinout to plug them in.
 
All of them should be face down.
I just unliked that post after seeing a video on Youtube. Apparently they can either face up or down. :( EDIT: Wait a minute, for the single ones I guess it doesn't matter as long as you get the plus and minus on the correct pins.
 
I just unliked that post after seeing a video on Youtube. Apparently they can either face up or down. :( EDIT: Wait a minute, for the single ones I guess it doesn't matter as long as you get the plus and minus on the correct pins.
the only ones that matter are the power LED and HDD LED.
 
I just unliked that post after seeing a video on Youtube. Apparently they can either face up or down. :( EDIT: Wait a minute, for the single ones I guess it doesn't matter as long as you get the plus and minus on the correct pins.

Install them all face up and see what happens.
 
They are LED's which means Light Emitting Diode and a diode conducts in only one direction so they will not light up if you get the + and - wrong
 
Bingo.

I've always been happy with AsRock or Asus boards, depending on what kind of money I want to spend on a board.

I used to be a Gigabyte fanboi but not anymore this X570 AORUS Elite will probably be my last Gigabyte board not really any "special" Gigabyte exclusive features anymore no more "Dual BIOS (or Dual UEFI?) nothing really grabs my attention anymore.
 
My levono legion 5 motherboard is unmarked and the power button connecter is only identifiable because it was part of a 9 pin connector. I can at least use the power switch in my Lian LI case, but the reset, power and hdd leds are useless for me.

Edit. I'll add a bitch that levono used a special and as far as I can tell proprietary front panel audio connector. Can't wait to ditch this mobo
 
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My levono legion 5 motherboard is unmarked and the power button connecter is only identifiable because it was part of a 9 pin connector. I can at least use the power switch in my Lian LI case, but the reset, power and hdd leds are useless for me.

Edit. I'll add a bitch that levono used a special and as far as I can tell proprietary front panel audio connector. Can't wait to ditch this mobo
I ran into similar many years ago with a Compaq, ended up having to break the proprietary front panel connector up and attach each button/led wire singly. After it burned a mobo header the proprietary front usb ports were just taped over.
 
I ran into similar many years ago with a Compaq, ended up having to break the proprietary front panel connector up and attach each button/led wire singly. After it burned a mobo header the proprietary front usb ports were just taped over.
I wanted to resuse a Sony Vaio case ("Standard" MATX) and the front panel connector was a weird plug (not the standard 2.54MM pitch) it went to a board with three LEDs and two switches well I used my multi-meter to find out what did what and I soldered normal pins from a long scrapped case.
 
I ran into similar many years ago with a Compaq, ended up having to break the proprietary front panel connector up and attach each button/led wire singly. After it burned a mobo header the proprietary front usb ports were just taped over.
Thankfully in my case the only front panel connector is the power button. Right now I only have the power button for my Lian Li case hooked to it. I'll hook the rest of them up when I have a new motherboard later on
 
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