Self-assembly of your personal computer can sometimes take a very long time. If everything is quite simple and clear with connecting the main devices to the PC, then the buttons or indications may seem like a very complicated process. Below we will consider all the main nuances of connecting this node to motherboard.
Preparing to connect
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of the main preparatory steps, which will greatly simplify the procedure for connecting the start keys and restarting the computer to its main board:The inscriptions that are present on the main board and connectors will help you navigate when looking for the right items. For example, next to the port responsible for the power and reset keys, either "F_PANEL" or "PANEL1" will be written.
Connecting the front panel interface
If you have carefully studied the layout of the motherboard of your computer, and also found all the necessary connectors and ports, then it is time to compare them with each other. You should start this procedure with the connectors that are responsible for turning on and rebooting the system. Their cases are inscribed with "POWERSW" and "RESTARTSW", respectively. We connect these connectors with pins, near which there are the following designations: "PWRBTN" and "RESET".The HDD activity indicator has a connector labeled "HDDLED". It must be plugged into the "HDLED -" plug.
If you accidentally mix up the polarity of the indicators, then no fatal consequences will occur. To solve this problem, you will need to connect the connector the other way.
Connection features on Asus and Gigabyte boards (video)
The provided video very clearly shows the process of connecting the power buttons to the motherboard and rebooting the system (using motherboards from manufacturers such as ASUS and GIGABYTE as an example).There is nothing complicated in connecting the front panel to the PC main board. The most important thing is to read the documentation in detail and carefully examine all the inscriptions on the motherboard. Also, do not forget to observe the polarity when connecting the connectors to the port pins, otherwise the LED signaling devices will not work.
When assembling a PC, one of the most important parts is connecting the case to the motherboard (or system) board. It is important because, no matter how powerful and expensive a PC is, it will remain just a piece of furniture if it cannot be turned on.
It is on the case that all the vital controls and indicators of the PC's health are located. Proper connection of buttons and indicators will allow the user to control the operation of the PC and receive, albeit simple, but reliable confirmation of its correctness.
Of the controls located on the case, one of the most important is the computer power button, or power switch.
Often, the location of the connection points for certain switches and indicators may differ depending on the selected computer components. Moreover, this may depend not only on the manufacturer, but also on the specific model of a particular block in the PC.
This article will tell you how to connect the power button to the motherboard.
Preparing to connect
In order to correctly connect the power button to the motherboard, a series of preparatory work should be carried out, as well as the necessary tools should be prepared.
Important! The latter circumstance should not be ignored, since the design features of some motherboards do not allow you to connect using only your fingers.
Preparatory work is to familiarize yourself with the instructions for the motherboard. If the instruction did not come with it, knowing the model of the device (and it is always written on it, most often near the edge or in the middle, between the expansion slots), you can find its electronic version on the Web. The instruction will indicate the location of the front panel mini-connector and show the pinout of its outputs in the absence of inscriptions on the motherboard.
Of the tools you will need:
- small tweezers (to hold the connector from the system unit during its installation);
- a screwdriver with a PH1 bit (in order to provide access to the front panel of the case, if necessary).
How to connect the power button to the motherboard step by step
The instructions for connecting the power management circuit are as follows:
- On the motherboard, you should find a system mini-connector, as a rule, which is two rows of pins, 10-12 in each, with characteristic inscriptions. Most often, this connector is located in the lower right corner of the board.
- Find the location of the power switch on the connector.
- In the case (often near the front panel), you should find wires with connectors for connecting indicators and various switches and select a power-on connector among them.
- Connect the power-on connector from the PC case to the mini-jack pins on the motherboard.
In order not to be mistaken with the designation of the "legs" of the connectors, we will consider the typical ways of designating them on modern components.
Symbols for connectors of buttons and indicators
Directly next to each group of contacts of the mini-connector (the so-called "pins" from the English "pin"), which perform a specific function, a description of their purpose is given. This is done so that PC assemblers are not mistaken, since there is no single standard for the location of mini-connector pins.
Attention! Often the functional purpose is not only described, but also duplicated by the color of the plastic part of the connector. For indicating devices, the polarity is also indicated.
The following designations are used:
- POWERSW, POWER SWITCH, PSW, PSWITCH - power button connector pins;
- RESET, RESETSW, RST, RESTART - pins for restarting the computer;
- POWERLED, PWLED, PLED, POWERON, PON - outputs for indicating the presence of electrical power (working capacity or turning on the PC) on the motherboard;
- HDDLED, HDLED, HLED - outputs for indicating access to hard disks;
- SPEAKER, SPK, SPEAK - outputs for connecting the system speaker.
In this article, you will learn how to connect the power switch, reset and LEDs, as well as audio and USB ports to the motherboard. Before trying to connect them, it is very important to know the place and the polarity of the connection. To do this, you need to find the diagrams in the motherboard manual that will tell you exactly where each set of pins is located on the motherboard, or use the information in this article.
Connecting LEDs and Power Buttons
The computer case has power buttons that connect to the motherboard, and LEDs to indicate the motherboard's activity. You must connect these buttons and indicators to the motherboard using the wires from the front of the case shown in Figure #1 to the connector on the motherboard (Figure #2). The inscription on the motherboard near the panel connector shows the place of connection of each wire and the polarity of each of them, however, inscriptions with designations are not always present on the motherboard.
Locate the front panel connectors in the computer case (see Figure 1). Next, we find the connector on the motherboard, usually it is located at the bottom of the motherboard, and is signed with the inscription PANEL1 or JFP1, it can be in different versions (see Fig. 2.0, 2.1).
Rice. No. 1. Front panel connectors.
Fig No. 2.0. Front panel connector on the motherboard.
Fig No. 2.1. Front panel connector on the motherboard.
The group of system cables shown in picture #1 have two wires that are color coded. The black or white wire is ground (GND), and the wires of other colors (red, blue, green, orange) are power. Connection is carried out from left to right, when connected, all positive contacts will always be on the left except for the reset button, however, the polarity of the buttons is unimportant, since the buttons close the contacts when pressed.
Simply install these wires to the connector of the same name on the motherboard, respecting the polarity of the LEDs.
Fig No. 2.2. Polarity of front panel wires.
The possible short names for them are listed below, which will be written on the connectors themselves.
PWR-SW, PW SW, PW= Power Switch (no polarity required). The control is the power button, which allows you to turn the computer on and off.
PWR-LED, P-LED, MSG= Power LED (polarity required). The indicator shows when the computer is on or in standby mode.
RES-SW, R-SW, RES= Reset Switch (no polarity required). Reset button to restart the computer.
HDD LED HD= LED indicator hard drive(Hard Disk Drive LED) (polarity required). This indicator flashes when information is being written to or read from the hard disk.
SPK, SPKR, SPEAK= Internal speaker (Speaker) (requires polarity) used to sound the beeps you hear from the computer when booting up.
Fig No. 3. Pinout of the front panel pins on the motherboard
Connecting Front USB to Motherboard
First, we find the USB connector on the motherboard, usually it is located at the bottom of the motherboard and is labeled F_USB or USB. Also on each wire connector (Fig. No. 4.0) you can read its value, which can be + 5V (or VCC or Power), D +, D - and GND.
Fig No. 4.0. USB polarity.
Fig No. 4.1. USB 2.0 front panel connection to motherboard.
Fig No. 4.2. USB 3.0 front panel connection to motherboard.
Fig No. 4.3. Connecting USB 2.0 to the motherboard.
Connecting Front Panel Audio to Motherboard
To use these connectors, your motherboard must have a built-in sound card (in other words, built-in audio). However, installation is not as easy as it sounds, and in today's column, we will explain how to do it.
There is a small black connector at the end of each wire and in this connector we can read the function of the wire. You will find the following wires: Mic In (or Mic Data), Ret L, Ret R, L Out (or Ear L), R Out (or Ear R) and two Gnd (or Ground). If you look closely, you will see the Ret L and L Out wires connected to each other, the same happens between the Ret R and R Out wires.
Rice No. 5.0. Connecting audio to the motherboard.
You must find the location of these wires in your motherboard. This place is referred to as Audio, External Audio, Ext Audio, Front Audio, F Audio, HD Audio or something like that. This connector consists of a 9-pin connector, and there are two jumpers that establish the connection of some of these pins. The exact position of this connector varies depending on the motherboard model.
Fig No. 5.1. View of the audio plug on the motherboard.
To install the wires, the first step is to understand the motherboard connector's pin numbering system. The connector has nine pins, but the connector is considered 10-pin because one of the pins has been removed (pin 8). Jumpers connect pins 5 and 6 and 9 and 10. Since there is a space without a pin (pin 8), it is easy to see the numbering of the other pins.
Fig No. 5.2. Audio pinout on the motherboard.
Remove jumpers. Wiring must be done as follows: Mic In to pin 1; Gnd - pins 2 and 3; R Output to pin 5; Ret R for pin 6; L Output to pin 9 and Ret L to pin 10.
The motherboard is the main element of any computer to which other system components are connected (RAM strips, hard drives, video cards, etc.). The performance of the computer depends on how correctly you connected them.
About connecting PC elements to the motherboard
You can connect these components in any sequence, but it is still recommended to connect the power supply initially in order to be able to monitor the health of the system. In addition, some components require connection not only to the motherboard, but also to the power supply.
Step 1: Connecting the power supply
The power supply is one of the main elements of any computer. It is desirable to connect it first. The connection is made using a special cable with 24 pins (24 pin). There are also options where the main cable looks like 20 + 4, then 20 main contacts and 4 more additional ones. When you make the installation, in no case do not connect the power supply to the mains.
In addition to the main contacts on the power supply, there are additional ones that are needed to supply power to the hard drive, processor, video card, etc. In this step, you will be working with the main 24-pin cable.
Find it. It is the largest among all cables, plus, sometimes it can be highlighted in color or marked with an appropriate inscription. Similarly, you need to find a connector for it on the motherboard. He is also larger than the others and can wear certain markings. Just connect the wire to this connector and that's it. Make sure the cable is tight enough, but do not use force as you may damage the motherboard and/or cable. Some models have special latches, use them.
Stage 2: Connecting to socket power
Before you install the CPU and cooler in the processor socket, you need to power it from the power supply. Despite the fact that the socket is also located on the motherboard, it receives power from a separate cable. This cable has only 4 pins (denoted as 4 pin), differs from the rest in its small size, as well as a pronounced square shape.
Connects to the connector located near the chipset. Make sure that you firmly install the cable into the connector, use special latches for a tighter fixation, if they are provided for in the design.
Step 3: Connecting the Front Panel
On the front panel there are power buttons, power indicators, USB connectors and audio devices. It is advisable to connect this panel immediately after you have powered the motherboard so that you can immediately check the performance of the entire computer.
The cables presented on the front panel have 1-2 pins (contacts) and are connected directly to the motherboard. You need to connect them in a certain sequence and to certain connectors. Connectors and cables have special marks, so you can hardly make a mistake, but regarding the connection sequence, you need to look in the documentation for the motherboard or the front panel.
There are several cables in total:
Also, cables for USB and Audio outputs can be built into the design of the front panel.
Connect the cables in strict accordance with the instructions that are included with the front panel or motherboard. Try to fasten the contacts as tightly as possible, but do not use force, as they are very fragile.
After connecting the front panel, check the operation of the system by connecting it to the power supply and using the power button. If everything is fine, then disconnect the computer from power again and continue connecting the main elements to the motherboard.
Stage 4: Connecting the hard drive
Now you can connect a hard drive with an already installed operating system, or an empty SSD / HDD.
An HDD with a SATA connector is connected according to the following instructions:
- Fix the disk in a special slot. This is usually located in the area of the front panel. There may be several slots, you can place the drive in any of them, but if you connect several hard drives, then it is not recommended to install them too close to each other (leave at least one slot empty if the design allows it).
- Find the SATA bus. It has one straight, flattened cable with a matching connector on the end, which is usually signed. Connect this cable to the dedicated connectors on the drive and motherboard. The connectors also have their own designation, but if there are none, then you can see the location and purpose of all its elements in the documentation for the board.
- Now connect the power rail to the PSU. The cable will either come with the power supply or with the drive. You can figure out what and what to connect to yourself, since all cables and connectors have the appropriate designations.
- Finally secure the disc with bolts and/or latches in its slot.
Stage 5: Connecting the RAM sticks
RAM is one of the most important components of any computer, because without it the operating system simply will not start. Motherboards can have from 1 to 8 slots for RAM. There are also models where the RAM bar is already soldered by default. In this case, you do not need to connect another bar.
Installing RAM sticks is not difficult. You need to find a special connector on the motherboard. The RAM connector has a characteristic appearance, making it difficult to confuse or not recognize it. Simply insert the bar into this slot until you hear a click. Secure the strap with the latches.
Stage 6: Installing the graphics card
As a final step, you need to install a graphics card. If some kind of video adapter is already installed in the central processor, then you can quite use it without installing a video card, but you will not get much performance.
Connectors for video cards on motherboards are of the following type:
Consider connecting a video card to PCI and PCI-Express connectors, fortunately, the connection process looks the same for two types of connectors:
- Remove the plug from back cover corps. In place of this plug, the video card connectors will have to come out. The plugs are usually attached with a special screw.
- Install the video card in a special slot on the motherboard in such a way that the panel with interfaces goes to the place where the plug was previously located. No force is required during installation, as the adapter fits perfectly into the connector. A click will indicate that the adapter is firmly installed.
- Secure the video card using the special latches. If they are not in the design of the port or graphics adapter, then skip this step.
- Secure it with the bolts left from the old plug. If everything is installed correctly, then you should not have problems with fixing.
- Now you need to connect the video card to power. It is connected separately, like a processor with a hard drive. The connection is made using a 6 or 8 pin cable. Several of these cables may be provided. Connect any of them that has a special designation (there will be either a signature, or these cables will differ from the rest in colors). Connect these pins to a special connector, which is located near the connector for installing the video card itself on the motherboard.
At this point, you can finish connecting the main components to the motherboard and try to start the computer. If everything is fine, then the BIOS will either give an error that the operating system is not detected, or it will start loading it, but this is only on condition that the OS is already installed on the disk.
You can also connect additional components to the motherboard, for example, a Wi-Fi adapter, a sound card, etc. However, their connection is not necessary for the normal functioning of the PC, so it will not be considered.
The case of the system unit is an important component of the entire computer. It is in the case that the “production shop” of the entire computer is located, so to speak. It is in the case that the motherboard is installed, and it is already “hung” on it RAM, video card, processor and all kinds of wires and cables. Moreover, the power supply is located in a separate place inside the case, however, as well as the hard drive and drive.Modern cases look quite attractive, menacing, aggressive, unusual ... The developers have enough imagination, which means that ordinary buyers can choose from a huge assortment. But not only do the current cases have an attractive appearance, they also have "working" pluses. Such pluses are USB connectors, as well as microphone and headphone jacks on the front of the case, which in turn means that every time we need to connect a USB flash drive, we need to climb under the table and get to the back of the case. I think everyone agrees that these are, in principle, trifles, but still, it’s more pleasant to just insert a USB flash drive in front and start working.
But, unfortunately, there are cases when some parts of the computer case fail. It's about the famous POWER button, which is absolutely on every case. In the process of long operation, this button can simply fail, for example, stop being pressed, or vice versa, it will fall deep into the case, and no matter how you “conjure”, you won’t be able to turn on the computer. What to do in such situations? If you don’t really need a computer, then it’s better to call the master and wait with peace of mind until he repairs everything, paying him a certain amount of money for this.
If you need to use the computer urgently enough, then perhaps you should use the following advice.
First you need to find a flat surface and carefully place the system unit so that the left cover looks at you, while you should not disconnect all the wires in order to complete everything faster, but you should make sure that these wires are not stretched. In addition, a prerequisite should be that the computer is disconnected from the power supply, as they say, you never know. The next thing to do is remove the left case cover. In modern cases, this usually does not require any great effort, so this should not be a problem.
After removing the cover, an amazing picture will appear in front of you. You will see everything for which you once gave a round sum, and which usually works peacefully, making an innocent noise, and what now does not want to “start up”. Our focus should be primarily on the multi-colored wires that run from the front of the case to the motherboard. There can be many such wires, and it is not surprising, because there are connected and POWER buttons and RESET button, and USB ports, together as audio outputs. So, at the next step, we may need a little knowledge of English, which many received at school, because on the wiring itself, as well as on the motherboard, near the connection of these wiring, it should be written what they mean. Take the USB ports as an example. On the motherboard itself, near the connection, there should be an inscription USB1, USB2, etc. This means that the wires connected to these connectors are nothing but USB connection ports.
But do not forget about our problem, which means that we need to look for posting POWER(usually these are two wires woven together). Typically, the connectors to which the power or reset buttons are connected are located on the lower right side of the motherboard:
On most motherboards, these connectors are the same and consist of 9 pins arranged in two rows. The last two contacts in a short row of 4 plugs are responsible for turning on / off the computer.
Here are the connector diagrams for the most popular motherboard manufacturers.
MSI
AsRock
Asus
Biostar
Epox
foxconn
gigabyte
Intel
When these two wires are found, you should find where they are connected to the motherboard. After the connection point has been found, it is worth carefully disconnecting these wires, so that the small plugs are exposed.
That's it, now we're almost done. The final step is only turning on the computer, for this we need an ordinary stationery pen, preferably one that writes in bold. After finding such a pen, you can connect the computer to the power supply, and then gently run the tip of the rod over these bare needles. Or in other words, you just need to close these contacts. After these steps, the computer should come to life, and the download will begin. If nothing happened, then it is worth repeating the procedure, but close these needles quickly enough.
Thanks to such simple steps, you can start the computer without any problems, but this should not be neglected, and it is better to fix the start button on the case as soon as possible in order to avoid unnecessary problems.
Attention: Neither the author of this article, nor the administration of this site, bears any responsibility for possible problems that may arise in the process of turning on the computer in this way. You will perform all of the above actions at your own peril and risk, and will be solely responsible for possible problems that are not described in this article.