How to connect the motherboard to the front panel, which contains all the main buttons and indicators?

The procedure for attaching the motherboard to the front panel is a standard computer assembly process.

Before starting the connection process, you should study in detail appearance each element of the front panel of the computer case and the queue for its connection to motherboard.

Remember! If you connect elements to the main system board in the wrong order, some of them may not work or work incorrectly.

Learning the names of all the elements and their location is quite simple. All of them have a certain marking, name and appearance.

Connecting all buttons and status indicators

On any case there are indicators of the status of the computer, LEDs, buttons, drives. Other elements may also be present.

On the computer motherboard, there is a separate block for connecting LED bulbs (indicate the on state) and buttons.

Components are connected to this block using four separate connectors.

Their appearance is shown in the figure below. They look the same on all computers, but the phrases that are written on them may differ (but they mean the same thing).

Connectors are painted in different colors.

Yellow is for connecting the power button, blue is for the system status diode (lights up when the system is rebooted).

The green connector connects to the computer motherboard the indicator light for pressing the power button (after pressing the power key, the corresponding light turns green).

Red - power button cable.

The connector that links the speaker to the chassis can also be colored yellow.

This speaker makes beeping sounds when the computer is turned on, during system error detection, or when connected to a wireless network.

All connectors connect to one specific motherboard port. Typically, this port is located on the lower right side of the system's main board.

Computer parts manufacturers refer to this port as PANEL and its variations (F_PANEL).

Absolutely every motherboard has signatures that indicate what and where to connect. The figure below shows the required port on the board.

The arrows indicate where to connect each of the connectors.

On the main board, you can often find a separate connector for connecting a speaker, which reacts to errors in the BIOS and in the computer hardware.

The location of the connector is shown in the figure:

After connecting the block with buttons and diodes, you can start connecting all the front USB inputs, as well as audio outputs.

The process of connecting the front panel of the system unit case

The appearance of the connectors for USB and sound practically does not differ from those connectors that were described above in the article.

However, unlike the previous connector wires, they are connected together.

Each connector has a name (respectively USB and HD AUDIO). The appearance of the wires is shown in the figure below:

The connector for connecting these connectors on the motherboard is located at its bottom and, as a rule, is signed with the names F_USB1 or F_USB2.

There can be more than two connectors for connection (newer versions of motherboards).

It doesn't matter which wire you connect to.

All inputs are absolutely identical, the order of their connection does not affect the operation of the front panel components of the computer.

It is also impossible to make a mistake with the correct side of the connector.

The USB connector can only be connected in one direction.

Follow instructions:

• Find a connector called F_USB;
• Locate the corresponding connectors on the motherboard. Their location is indicated in the figure;

• Connect the connectors to any of the connectors on the board.

Note! If your computer case indicates that USB 3.0 is used, you only need to connect the connector to a specific connector. To which one, you can read in the instructions that come with the motherboard.

Connecting the Front Soundbar to the Main Board

Now you need to connect sound devices to the motherboard. All actions are almost the same as connecting USB connectors.

Connectors are also connected together with each other.

Thus, you can accurately connect all the components to the computer motherboard.

On most motherboards, all audio connectors are located near USB connectors. The approximate location of the ports can be seen in the figure below:

Most often, audio connectors are signed as AC 97.

Self-assembly of your personal computer sometimes it can 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 connection. given node to the motherboard.

Preparing to connect

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of preparatory stages, 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.

Self-assembly of a personal computer is not only an interesting activity, comparable to playing a constructor, but also a great way to save a decent amount (in service center this service costs an average of 10% of the cost of all components).

An additional reward for accuracy and consistency in the performance of work will be a perfectly working computer and a sense of pride in your achievements.

Assembly system block begins with connecting the main PC components (video cards, hard drive, processor, power supply, etc.).

At this stage, questions arise extremely rarely, since all the connectors and plugs are made in such a way that it simply will not work to confuse something in places or connect it on the wrong side.

When all the "iron" is arranged, it is necessary to connect with motherboard the body of the system unit itself. Important controls and control indicators are displayed on it.

These are the power buttons and forced reboot PC (Reset), as well as the power and hard disk activity indicators.

Wires with miniature connectors depart from each of the listed elements. They must be put on the corresponding plugs on the motherboard.

To make it clear what function a particular wire is responsible for, manufacturers put the following on each mini-connector conventions:

• Power SW (Power Switch) - connector that comes from the power button (Power). Pressing this button starts the computer;
• Reset SW (Reset Switch) - connector coming from the forced restart button of the computer;
• Power Led - PC on/off indicator connector;
• HDD Led - wire coming from the indicator hard state PC disk;
• SPEAKER - connector for connecting a system speaker ("tweeter");
• HD Audio - microphone and headphones;
• USB - USB connector.

We connect the case buttons to the motherboard

For the right connections Power buttons and reset to motherboard you need to have the manual handy. On the board diagram, you need to find information about the location of the contact block.

In most cases, manufacturers refer to it as "F_Panel", "Front Panel", or simply "Panel". If the instruction is lost, you just need to carefully examine the motherboard and find this group of connectors on it.

1. First, we connect the Power SW (Power Switch) power button connector to the board. The place for it on the motherboard is designated as "PWR_BTN". Since this is a button, not an indicator, the polarity of connecting the power button to the motherboard does not matter. The power button cable can be connected in either direction.
2. Next, we connect the forced reset button Reset SW (Reset Switch). The location for this connector on the motherboard is labeled "Reset" or "RESET_SW" and is located directly below the power button connector. In this case, the polarity also does not matter.
3. We connect the indicators of the system unit to the motherboard
4. Focusing on the diagram from the instructions or the symbols printed on the motherboard, you need to connect the display connectors.

When connecting the indicators, it is important to observe the polarity, otherwise they simply will not burn. On the board itself, the polarity is indicated by the symbols "+" and "-".

It should also be present on the connectors. If it is not there or not visible, then you should use the hint: the white wire is a minus, the colored wire is a plus.

The place for the PC on / off indicator connector (Power Led) on the motherboard is designated as "PWR_LED", for connecting the HDD Led connector - "HDD_LED".

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

If, after starting the computer, any of the indicators does not work, simply reconnect the connector by turning it to the other side.

Similarly, other connectors coming from the system unit case are connected to the motherboard - SPEAKER, HD Audio and USB.

The motherboard is the main element of any computer to which other system components are connected (slats random access memory, 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 order, 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 installing in the processor socket CPU and a cooler, 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 contacts (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 HDD with an already installed operating system, or an empty SSD / HDD.

An HDD with a SATA connector is connected according to the following instructions:

1. Fix the disk in a special slot. This is usually located in the area of ​​​​the front panel. There can be several slots, you can place the disk 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 connector empty if the design allows it).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 it simply will not run. operating system. 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:

1. 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.




2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Secure it with the bolts left from the old plug. If everything is installed correctly, then you should not have problems with fixing.




5. 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 to the motherboard additional components such as Wi-Fi adapter, sound card, etc. However, their connection is not necessary for the normal functioning of the PC, so it will not be considered.