there are all these pins and jumpers on the motherboard, where do the wires go and which way are they suppose to face going in? also can all motherboard connect to all case wires or is there limitation?
explain you answer and give plenty of detail do it’s easier to understand
this was in a for dummies book. you guys are lame. thanks for answering anyways.
July 29th, 2010 on 2:06 am
This is something that’s a little complicated for Y!A, but we’ll give it a shot.
Generally, the case only has a limited number of things that need to be connected to the motherboard, but only the motherboard manual will detail where the case connections are. They vary from board to board.
Not only that, but the layout of which-pins-go-where varies from board to board, although there are some standards (for example, the type of connector for a USB port to connect to the motherboard’s USB bus is thought to be fairly standard these days, but it’s not a guarantee.
*Most* (but not necessarily all) of the important connectors are shaped so that you can’t get them mixed up or connected backwards. The ones which are reversible usually can’t be harmed by plugging them in backwards (like a power LED — it just won’t light up if you get it wrong).
The things you’ll need to locate (at a minimum) are:
- Motherboard power (usually a 20- or 24-pin connector of thick wires, usually in 2×10 or 2×12)
- CPU power (if it’s separate from the motherboard power — usually a 2×2 connector of thick wires)
- Power switch (usually 1×2 of thin signal wires)
- Reset switch (usually 1×2 thin)
Optional, but highly recommended:
- PC Speaker (usually 1×4 thin, where only the 1st and 4th pins actually are wired)
- Front-USB and other external USB connectors not located at the rear of the case (usually 1×4 side-by-side with 1×5, where there should be a blank socket to correspond with an absent pin on the board)
- Front audio (again, usually 1×5 side-by-side with 1×5 but the absent pin is located differently to differentiate it from a USB connector)
This isn’t guaranteed, though. I’ve seen generic cases where the audio connector and/or the USB connectors are a little blossom of nine loose individual ‘thin’ wires. Those are arguably more flexible (e.g. in the situation where the motherboard manufacturer wants to get creative) but they’ll take longer to set up.
In that kind of situation you may (if you don’t care what kind of case you use) want to contact a technician who builds clone PCs and has an opinion on the easiest case to assemble a computer into, and which cases to avoid.
Now, to answer the second part of your question, the answer is "sometimes." Normally when you get a case which meets the standard for an ATX / Micro-ATX motherboard and it’s not a proprietary case (e.g. some companies make their cases and boards of a custom shape or pin-out to foil exactly what you’re trying to do, like Dell or IBM) then you can reasonably expect the connectors to be of the standard type, or at least to work (and, for that matter, you can expect the stand-off and screwholes to match up). However, a custom-made board or a custom-made case may not work with the generic opposite (e.g. I’ve seen some cases of a proprietary type which use a 1×3 connector for the power / reset buttons and/or the speaker. Obviously if your board has the 1×2 or the 1×4 type, you’re stuck).
July 29th, 2010 on 2:06 am
What is the brand and model of your motherboard, PSU, case etc. Maybe it might be easier for you to download and peruse the manual for your mobo from the manufacturer’s website
July 29th, 2010 on 2:06 am
that is an impossible question to answer. But I’ll try.
some connectors on a motherboard will only allow connections one way.. others don’t and it’s easy to reverse connections.
You will have to look up the manual/jumper pin configuration of your particular Motherboard. and also find out the wiring for the case. some have the connector name printed on the block on the end of them ( like PWR for power button wires) then you have to match up the connectors to the pins on the motherboard. it requires paitience.
Somewhere on your motherboard the makers name and model of the motherboard should be printed. use google to look it up.
the case should have a makers name or brand name some where. Use google to look it up. If it is from someone like Dell.. good luck OEM cases and mobo pin connections can be a bear to find.
Then if you are lucky and have all that together start hooking up wires. Building a pc ,unless you are used to it is a time consuming and ardous task and there are many things you can over look and miss. it require patience. lots of it. as in take your time and double check everything.
July 29th, 2010 on 2:06 am
Your manual should have very clear pictures and descriptions of all the connections. No one can tell you the exact details without your manual.