Critical error. Help needed!

[Thelordsninja]

I am trying to build a new PC for gaming. I put everything together (new Motherboard, New Processor, New PSU) but when I attempted to connect everything. My current case (from a Compaq Presario CQ5826) has a 9 pin female front panel connector, while my BIOSTAR A880gz motherboard has a 16 pin front panel connector. Therefore, I can't connect the power switch so I cannot power on my computer.

Should I purchase a new case? If so, which one? I'd prefer to spend less than $60.

 

[conkerman]

The 9 pi is for an external USB header is it not?

 

[lxgoldsmith]

The 9 pi is for an external USB header is it not?

+1, that or audio. there are usually labelled or color coded pins to connect the smaller power, reset, and led connectors.

 

[groundrat]

It looks like Foxconn made your last board. From the small picture compaq put on the web page, it looks like the front panel connectors are located between the orange SATA and the light Blue SATA headers. It’s a 12 pin black header.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c03054469&lang=en&cc=us&taskId=101&contentType=SupportFAQ&prodSeriesId=5080701&prodTypeId=12454

Your front panel power, reset, HDD pins where connected to that header. They may or may not be labeled.

Yes, the external USB connector is a 9 pin. Likewise the HD Audio connector will be a 9 pin.

If you really like the case you can go to radio shack and pick up some wire and a wire wrap tool and rewire the switchs. But frankly, expansion and airflow are so limited that I’d just get a new case. You should be able to find a nice case for under $50.

 

[willard]

As a rule of thumb, I advise against recycling cases from pre-built machines. They're nearly universally of the lowest possible quality and frequently have proprietary components (even standoff layouts sometimes). Plus, they tend to be quite small and difficult to work with.