Help! New mobo and can't connect the System Panel Connector

[tomsresults]

Hi everyone

I just bought and installed a new ASUS M4A88TD-M/USB3 motherboard (my first build) and installed it into my HP m8000n case. Everything went fine with one exception - the System Panel Connector (SPC) on the HP is a 10-1 pin (female) that looks similar to this: Picture, while the SPC on the motherboard that it needs to connect to is a 20-8 pin (male) that looks like this: Picture (shown is the Q-connector that connects to the actual 20-8 pin connection on the mobo, which is the long white one at the bottom of the mobo).

I wrote to ASUS tech support asking this question and no joke, the lady replied that she has no idea what a 10-1 pin is and to RTFM (by pointing me to the page, which I had already read anyway).

How do I connect my 10-1 to my 20-8 so I can power this bad boy up?

 

[delluser1]

Hi everyone

I just bought and installed a new ASUS M4A88TD-M/USB3 motherboard (my first build) and installed it into my HP m8000n case. Everything went fine with one exception - the System Panel Connector (SPC) on the HP is a 10-1 pin (female) that looks similar to this: Picture, while the SPC on the motherboard that it needs to connect to is a 20-8 pin (male) that looks like this: Picture (shown is the Q-connector that connects to the actual 20-8 pin connection on the mobo, which is the long white one at the bottom of the mobo).

I wrote to ASUS tech support asking this question and no joke, the lady replied that she has no idea what a 10-1 pin is and to RTFM (by pointing me to the page, which I had already read anyway).

How do I connect my 10-1 to my 20-8 so I can power this bad boy up?

You pull the HD and PWR LED pins out of the 10-1 connector, slide them onto the corresponding pins on the Qconnector and attach to the board, you can use the 10-1 on the Q connector for PWR and RST switches if you want, just have to swap some pins around.
A coat of hot glue or some shrink-tube for insulation isn't a bad idea, though not really neccessary unless you plan on having metal chips flying around in the case.

10-1 front panel pinout

 

[tomsresults]

Hi Delluser

Thank you for the help, I have a couple quick questions before tackling this -

1) You can take the individual wires out of the 10 pin and it'll still have "connectors" on each one? I've never pulled wires out of one of those before, I was just assuming it would be bare wire if I did that?

2) What do you mean by metal chips flying around inside the case? What would cause the metal to chip and fly around?

Sorry if I sound newbish, but I want to "get it right the first time", lol.

 

[delluser1]

Hi Delluser

Thank you for the help, I have a couple quick questions before tackling this -

1) You can take the individual wires out of the 10 pin and it'll still have "connectors" on each one? I've never pulled wires out of one of those before, I was just assuming it would be bare wire if I did that?

2) What do you mean by metal chips flying around inside the case? What would cause the metal to chip and fly around?

Sorry if I sound newbish, but I want to "get it right the first time", lol.

1) Yes, the pin will still be on the wire
2) sarcasm

 

[tomsresults]

lol! ok, I had a feeling but wanted to make sure.

One last question, there's a total of 6 wires coming off of the HP 10 pin, it looks like it shares the reset/power (2 wires), then there are 2 wires each for both the HDD LED and the Power LED. The q-connector has a power and a ground wire for both the power and reset (4 total) how to I set that up so that it still functions the way it originally did as both a power/reset?

thanks again for all of the help.

 

[delluser1]

lol! ok, I had a feeling but wanted to make sure.

One last question, there's a total of 6 wires coming off of the HP 10 pin, it looks like it shares the reset/power (2 wires), then there are 2 wires each for both the HDD LED and the Power LED. The q-connector has a power and a ground wire for both the power and reset (4 total) how to I set that up so that it still functions the way it originally did as both a power/reset?

thanks again for all of the help.

You don't have a reset switch

 

[tomsresults]

last question, lol. each of the 6 wires has a black wire: red/black, yellow/black, blue/black. Am I correct in thinking that the black in this case is always either the ground or negative wire, and the colored ones are the positive/hot wire?

 

[delluser1]

That would be correct

 

[msignore_99]

Great post, delluser1! I believe I have the same HP box and I know I have the same MOBO. I followed your directions and the fans powered up for the first time but I have no video.

Any ideas? I have a VGA monitor plugged into the D SUB port; thought they were the same thing...

also no POST beeps, I assumed the other panel wire was the speaker and added it the Q-connector...

 

[sweetyness]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! For the question and thorough answer! After the hassle of having to replace my HP motherboard when only 1 year old, everything went great until the front panel connector issue. Your instructions were a lifesaver and worked like a charm. The pic of the 10-1 pin was especially helpful.

I might add that you need to use a small flathead screwdriver or something to pop-up the little piece of plastic on the side of the original plastic pin holder, or when you pull the wire out it will come out of the metal connector, (yes, I did that with the first one!) I also wrapped electrical tape around each to separate so the metal woudln't touch each other. Thanks again, now I am off to configure this bad boy!)

Actually, quick question- my MB fan sounds like it's on steroids now- is that because it is more powerful than the original I replaced? Thanks! ~Jana