Case connector header, e.g. ASUS - timewasting lunacy in 2022

philb2

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I'm transplanting my desktop system into a new case, so it's like a new build. The motherboard is an ASUS X570 Strix-E, which I bought in 2020. I have no idea if my issue applies to non-ASUS boards.

Once again, the hardest, most frustrating part of connecting up cables to the motherboard is putting the Power, Reset, Power LED and HDD LED plugs on individual pins. My can't ASUS, (the other motherboard makers), and the case guys all get together and design single plug that goes into a multi-pin header on the motherboard. Something similar to SATA or USB plugs and headers. The current setup is a big waste of time and eyesight

By the way, ASUS manuals have never indicated which pin is Power LED + and which is Power LED -. That's on ASUS.
 
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By the way, ASUS manuals have never indicated which pin is Power LED + and which is Power LED -. That's on ASUS.

asusfphd.PNG
 
I've seen small headers that you attach to the cables first then install onto the board enabling you to plug them all in at the same time.
 
My old Intel Dual Xeon and Intel Chassis had a ribbon cable, like an old floppy/IDE cable. I had to adapt the cable when I used the case for an ATX board.
Grabbed the front panel header off of this dead board and soldered wires to it and plugged it into the ribbon cable.
IMG_0862.JPGIMG_0860.JPG IMG_0863.JPG
 
I've seen small headers that you attach to the cables first then install onto the board enabling you to plug them all in at the same time.
Yah. I had an old one from ASUS, but the pinout was wrong, the "missing pin" was in the wrong place.
My old Intel Dual Xeon and Intel Chassis had a ribbon cable, like an old floppy/IDE cable. I had to adapt the cable when I used the case for an ATX board.
Grabbed the front panel header off of this dead board and soldered wires to it and plugged it into the ribbon cable.
View attachment 529963View attachment 529962 View attachment 529961
Was that ribbon cablel home made?
 
Yah. I had an old one from ASUS, but the pinout was wrong, the "missing pin" was in the wrong place.

Was that ribbon cablel home made?
no, that was stock on the Intel setup.
You can see the cable going to the bottom left of the motherboard
IMG_0395.JPG
 
I find it annoying in smaller cases, where the mobo edges end up really close to the case bottom.

Yeah, I guess it is one of those things they could step up their game, like CMOS reset buttons, little 7-segment displays for error codes and such. Or reversible USB.

What you can do is get some minimal-length breadboard M-F cables and plug them in before you mount the mobo in. You'll save yourself some potential grief later.

BTW, I saw some interesting projects springing up based on the Raspberry wireless pico or ESP32. They are in effect a wireless adapter for your mobo pins (including CMOS reset) that you can connect to with a mobile phone and thus do stuff like remote turn on/off, reset...

edited: should have been M-F wires instead of F-F
 
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I misspoke. Sorry about that.
EDIT: I just checked the manual for my motherboard. No + and - signs for PLED.
I have two Asus montherboards in the house at the moment. I just checked the manuals, and one of them (A320M-K) indicates +/- in the manual, while the other (CH7DH) does not. I never even noticed though, since I didn't connect a power LED to that one - it wasn't really needed, since there are a dozen LEDs that come on when the motherboard is switched on, so one more wouldn't make a difference.

It really is not that hard...
It's not, but it's harder than it needs to be, and for no good reason.
 
I have CH7DH mobo too and I don't recall if the manual specified + or - however I do remember it posted just fine and I remember being able to turn off all the LEDs pretty easily plus stop it from installing that armory crate garbage and the power and disk leds worked ootb.
 
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