Sometimes the hardest thing about the computer build is getting the front panel wiring correct. Another excellent video for novice or veteran pc builder.
Actually, I've found the hardest thing is getting people interested in how desktop PC front-panel connectors work. Chris has clearly triumphed over this obstacle, as I've managed to get several people to watch this who have absolutely no interest in PC building… It's all a matter of presentation.
I just posted a comment very simliar to yours. There are lots of others showing how to build a pc but few talk and explain how to connect the header panel. Great comment.
So many channels on TH-cam showing how to build your own computer but they always seem to gloss over the front header panel hookups and procedures. Nice to see this channel still provides education on topics that might be viewed as alittle outdated but yet to many of us who grew up with older desktops remember the fun(sarcasm) in getting all these lead correct. Thank you!
I teach English in my own school in Minorca Spain and I have a couple of students studying I.T. Your videos are the perfect exercise for polishing their comprehension. Congratulatios Chris
A small observation: with the correct polarity of the LEDs, the inscriptions on the connectors will be outside. The speakers operate on alternating current, so they do not have polarity in the usual sense. However, the polarity is often marked on the speakers. The fact is that the speakers in multi-channel systems must be correctly phased, otherwise the sounds from different speakers in antiphase will cancel each other out and it will sound really wrong. Therefore, on the speakers there are conventionally plus and minus inscriptions in order to connect them correctly. If there is only one speaker, it doesn't matter. There are also buzzers with a built-in generator, polarity is important for them (but they are not used in ordinary computers). By the way, that small black buzzers are not piezoelectric. Although they have some design differences from conventional speakers, they are still dynamic, with a coil and a magnet.
Thanks for this. Not all headers have anything printed on them. :) On speakers, I was very careful to caption "The front panel speaker does not have a polarity", and this is true. This is an educational video, and it would not have improved clarity here to explain that speakers do have a polarity when fitted in stereo pairs to avoid them being out of phases. On the buzzers, I stand corrected. Thought I've certain fitted (and once opened up) one that was piezeoelectric.
+1 speaker wired in the incorrect polarity will be out phase. the way to tell is that the positive terminal should make the speaker cone move forward, use an old 1.5 volt battery.
lol whereas I specifically don’t connect those stupid speakers for my own builds. I even removed the speaker from my instrument cluster in my truck to get rid of all of the stupid warning dings. I get a message on my cluster anyways.
I'm really glad that like 99% of manufacturers have the layout of these standardized nowadays, it was such a nightmare having to manually do each pin. Audio ones were the worst, because cases would commonly use different terminology than what the mobo manual said. X(
The mention at 10:14 of using speakers from old electronic devices was great and adding that idea with salvaging front panel cables from discarded PC cases and soldering them together is a cheap or in many cases free way of making a PC beeper/speaker. I made one myself via that method as I like hearing those POST beeps that bring me back to the Althlon XP computer my family had when I was younger. They've been very convinent too as budget motherboards often don't have the segmented LED displays that display error codes during the POST process. Had to make a separate comment for that additional engagement for the algorithm overlords and to not lose the heart from you Chris. Keep up the nice work with these very informative videos!
This is a must-watch for PC enthusiasts, tinkerers and up and coming hobbyists. So many young people I've talked to have expressed interest in learning about, and building retro computers. More so than ever before! Your channel is an invaluable resource for this growing segment. Thank you, Chris.
I wish that was my experience but, in reality, I don't think most young people care about building computers - particularly retro ones. I've been in conversations in other (Linux) YT channels where I explain why I choose my particular brand of Linux, Gentoo Linux, because it lets me run a modern OS on "any old cr*p". When I tell them that, as a Thinkpad enthusiast, that my oldest working computer today is a Thinkpad T22 with a Pentium III CPU from 20-or-so years ago, the usual responses are of the format "Who still runs Pentium III machines?" or "Get with the times, boomer". I have been programming, building and repairing computers for 40 years now and I've been lucky enough to have been working as a "techie" in telecoms, IT and cyber-security for four decades also - and not one day unemployed in that time. One reason that I am still doing it is because I enjoy it, but it's "scary" when I get onto video conference calls with colleagues across Europe and the USA to always see "a bunch of old guys" staring back at me - and the reason for that are so few youngsters "coming up through the ranks" with, say, computer science degrees. I am by no means "tarring them all with the same brush" and I subscribe to YT channels made by interesting youngsters more than 20 years my junior, and long may that continue. But most of them aren't interested in understanding how computers work, or have any concerns about security and privacy - they just want to "consume" computing devices that are premade for them and pay a premium price as a result. You know the world has gone mad when people pay in excess of 1000 dollars/euros/pounds for a phone **MADE OF GLASS**.
@@terrydaktyllus1320 I care about Computers and Technology and Retro computers and i’m part of Generation Z, so young tech enthusiasts like me do exist
This has always been the most unpleasant aspect of computer building as far as I'm concerned. For the most part, I connect the power switch and call it good. But I admire you and all of those out there who take the time and effort to hook up everything.
I build a few computers in my day and always worry about the front panel connectors. I was always afraid I blow something up. And goodbye build. You have put me at ease it's not as bad as I thought. Thanks Chris for another get video
These connectors are a hangover from the last century. PCs I built in the mid-90s had the same connectors. Amazing the industry has never standardized on a single large connector for these.
This is by far the best video on the given topic. Very detailed and simplified for everyone to understand. Ytb influencers can also watch it to learn how to make an educational video
I've fiddled with making these connections. Once the main board is in the case there is far less room, it gets much harder to see down there and plugging stuff in is tedious. I've also had to convert between 2 and 3 pins, and 3 and 4 too, by finding an appropriate bit of plastic and moving the wires in to that. Good times indeed.
25 years of this rubbish and the manufacturers still haven't managed to agree on a 'standard' . Even if they had to use a proprietary dongle to a standard case connector.
About 3-4 months ago I performed a motherboard upgrade (the motherboard didn't work ;-;) but I remember being very stressed about the front panel connectors, and now I know that for the most part, it doesn't matter, thanks
Before that it was far more difficult. While you had the same front panel connectors for the most part. The switch was connected directly to the power supply. But you also had to set up the motherboard as well with jumpers and switches for things like system speed, IRQ, COM, etc. I was so glad when they finally simplified those settings and incorporated them into BIOS. Some new motherboards will supply a header for you to attach the front panel connectors to and then plug that header onto the motherboard making it even easier. Another great video and explanation of the front panel connectors.
I built my 2nd PC ever last week and this was one of the most confusing part, this video would've been so helpful if I caught it earlier, very interesting educational piece.
You are the most sophisticated and informative person in techy world. When teaching these things nobody's stand a chance against 🧐you and I'm saying with 17 year's of experience if it validate my point😅. God bless you Sir🙏
Very well explained, professor. It only lacked to say, as far as I remember, that the white cables are the negative ones and the colored ones, the positive ones. Excellent video!!! 👍
@@ExplainingComputers Yes, very true. Although it is more common to see white cables as negative in electronic gadgets that were opened and sometimes repaired, I see a more common tendency for manufacturers to use this color than black. Years ago, from what I observed, I think there were more black cables as negatives than white ones. I don't know if it's because of cost. White even in paints is cheaper and more abundant. Anyway, thanks for your answer and excellent video, Professor. Sincerely. :D
THIS...was a video long overdue. Back in the days (pre-1994), case upgrading was always a FUN adventure with all those cables. Sarcasm definitely intended. ;) Although I've had decades of experience in handling these WONDERFUL cables, I'm quite sure there are younger people just getting their hands dirty, building their first computer (from scratch) and learning the wonders, fun and excitement in doing so. Thanks again for a really enjoyable video on a subject that I don't see very often. Much appreciated, Chris.
Thanks so much for this Chris, my nephew bought me an NEC PC and asked if I could fix it up for him for college. All of the connctors were unplugged and I was totally lost as to where to start, but with your help it is up and running (on windows 8 unfortuately) 20 years ago NEC used their own weird BIOS but the connector explanation really helped us out! though most stuff was usually from Taiwan in that era, Japanese companies liked to do things differently... the machine is now helping him with wonderful things like MS word ! (In Japanese).
You are a genius in explaining and your explanation is so easy to understand. The reason being you speak clearly, without over complicating the terminologies and thanks to you I have a much better understanding now of the front panel pins of the motherboard than I had before.
Excellent as always Chris, and super useful for potential system builders....and something I could have done with many years ago, having learnt from trial and much error 🙂 Many thanks and stay safe until next time 🙂
I was dealing with this last night at like 12am as I was building my roommate's PC into the night. The timing is perfect haha! Sleep deprivation made this particular part of the build the most nerve wracking part of the process, moreso that worrying about the cpu cooler pipes colliding with the heat sinks around the CPU socket, and was compounded by the fact that I had already rested the motherboard snugly in it's new case. I got it all hooked up though after consulting the physical manual many times
You have put a lot of effort into this very useful video. Thank you sir. You should bask in further kudos because you managed to make what could be a very mundane subject highly enjoyable.
I remember panicking about the FP connections on my first couple of builds, a video such as this would have been quite comforting... Thanks for sharing!
I was so pleased when my newest board came with a small rectangular plastic plug, that you connect all the front panel wires to outside of the case, and pushed the block in all at once. That should be the standard I think.
However this is a problem. Putting an older motherboard that doesn't have that 10-1 standard plugin. The previous MOBO that I have has a 20-8 pin layout and I can't connect with out breaking up the connector pins.
Excellent video & well explained, loved the cgi. I was lucky in my 1st PC build (2011) the case connector (front panel) was in one complete block so no connection issues, I did consult the manual for the F-panel header first & it seemed quite straightforward. I've learnt something new & I didn't realise that the polarity of some of the connectors don't actually matter, one to remember for my next build. I've got a box of old PC components stripped down from a windows 98 machine, you never know when they'll come in handy, it must be the generation that I come from, don't throw owt away! I see Stanley the knife edging into the shot good for him!! Another happy Sunday, thanks Chris :)
When I built my first PC two years ago the old front panel connectors were the ones worrying me the most but I referred to my manual, took it one step at a time and the rest is history. I really do enjoy this channel, I learn something new every video. You take something as simple as front panel connectors and make the subject interesting. It really is fascinating to have the intimate workings of simple things explained. This is part A that goes on part B for example but why is it important? How does it do it and why do we need it? You answer those questions and make it interesting. Thank you.
Very informative upload. Always wondered what is that little "sounder" thing, so it is a speaker. Good to see that I am not the only one with problems connecting those front panel connectors.
Thank you for your good explanation of these things. I just upgraded a old PC with a new motherboard, RAM and CPU. And yes I was worried about the front-panel headers. But a bit of reading in manual and some common sense helped me and after some errors I managed to set it up properly. I wished I had watched this video before, would have saved me some time.
Very helpful to someone building one of their first PCs. I think the first one I build was in the early 1970s. My problem has always been getting the pins on the connectors, As you pointed out often they are at the bottom front of the board and very hard to get to. I have used needle nose pliers and forceps
This video is a public service thank you. I have salvaged a motherboard from an OEM PC and the board does not have the print out for the front panel and since it is an OEM build no motherboard manual seems to exist either! But now I know polaritiy doesnt matter for power so hopefully i can just trial and error without too much fuss and everything should be okay.
Super tutorial video! When I was building my PC, I always wondered if the motherboard speaker wires had a polarity; I wish I had seen your video to learn that it does not.
This is such an interesting deep dive. I really love your content because of the mix of theory and practice, very clearly demonstrated examples and cool tips and tricks. Absolutely masterful, thank you for your hard work!!
Front panel headers are the part of a build that I dread because my bass player's fingers are not the best thing to get into tight spaces and still be able to see what I'm doing ! I recommend using a pair of fine long-nosed pliers or getting yourself a pair of artery forceps, which are great for getting a hold on fiddly little connectors.
Great Video! The front panel was such a problem for me years ago, when I frankenstiened some old PCs from garage sales as I couldn't afford new parts, some of the older MoBo had no labels on the FP and I couldn't find manuals online. I Still have a front panel switch from a 2004 E machine tower bc it was helpful for figuring out old pin outs. I love how you reduced the circuits to the simplest form to explain. Once again a great video.
Excellent video! It explains what the front panel header(s) are and how to hook them up very well. These days, it's just about the most fiddly thing we still have to do to install a motherboard, other than installing a processor, so it's very helpful to have advice like this.
Thank you. It clears up a lot of confusion, regardless of being used to it. Even following the instructions can still be a nightmare on quirky motherboards!
Great video Chris. Just an observation. You didn't mention the small sockets that some manufacturers include nowadays that have the same pin orientation with the motherboard and allow you to insert the pins there instead of the motherboard's connectors and then connect this socket on the motherboard. They are truly lifesavers, especially for us old dogs who need a couple of different pairs of glasses and a strong lamp above their head in order not make mistakes during the assembly.
What a cool coincidence! I also bought my first PC in 1996. It was called 586 (turned out to be AMD 486 equivalent) with 16GB RAM. I thought it was an Intel Pentium but learned my lesson the hard way. All later PCs I have bought I assembled myself. It's always fun to assemble a PC indeed and hear that beep. On this note, your "fake switch" is certainly better than using a screw driver to boot up :)
Thanks so much for this video. I'm building a computer for the first time and I learned so much here. I'm now able to finish building with reassurance.
I read all the comments (173 up until now) to see if anyone had to deal with separated USB headers and found it at the bottom (as usually happen when searching for something). anyway, I enjoyed reading all of them and got that feeling of belonging to something cool, Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences
Great video Chris. I always wondered about the polarities and if it would damage anything. You have put my mind at rest. I agree about it being a shame that most motherboards do not have a speaker now. That reassuring single beep was always good to hear. I might buy one of those speaker connections just for nostalgia.
My Father built 100s of PCs and just used guess-work, worse case seneraio is you might get the Power LED becoming the HD Led and the HD Led becoming the Power LED. Might look a bit werid but then it's easy fixed..
Really enjoy computer building videos and one of the reasons I first subscribed to your channel years ago. Things have changed so much over the years that I'd love to see you do the same type of explanations for How to Choose memory, soundcards and various types of SDD and such. Thanks for the video.
Chassis intrusion is an interesting one. Once worked on a large "MoD" site with many thousands of Compaq desktops. The BIOS was configured on each to talk to a Syslog server so if any of the cases were ever opened it would be logged with the unit serial number. As asset tracking was super tight it only took a quick lookup to find out who the unit was assigned too. I think some NHS trusts also do similar.
Building a computer brings back such happy memories for me. The young gamers weren't impressed with my build, but it was cheap, it worked, and I made it myself.
I got into building when i was younger. My friends all had cars unlike me, and went to the beach one summer, leaving me alone. I read books on computer repair and building while they were gone. When they came back, i knew how to build and repair computers.
I recall a few years ago that some motherboards came with a front panel block - a block that was fully labelled - you just had to plug all of the connectors into this block, and then plug that into the motherboard. It made plugging everything in so much easier as you didn't have to try and squeeze your hand in the case to plug the connectors in. It really is something that should be fully standardised by now however.
Thank you very much, it's been a while since I've build a new PC and now is the time... your video is very well explained and quickly reminded me how to do it properly :) Cheers
JFP1 for my Asus x570. I have been watching this channel for more than 8 years and although there are very few things talked about that I already don't know, I still enjoy them for some reason. I do wish they would standardize these pins so that a single plug can plug into them or individual connections like they currently are.
This is very informative for me. I'm using old hardware to build a retro (2007-2009) PC and I am using a MSN P7N SLI motherboard and while I know the JFP1 and JFP2 connectors to a degree from the PDF manual I downloaded, this provides a bit more of insight. Thank you.
Oh, goody! What a lovely coincidence that I was just finished cleaning my old PC I left at my parents' house. Terrible food splashes, humidity, cat & human hair, dead skin, the whole deal. It has got a Gigabyte 990xa, Phenom 2 x4 and the very same Zalman cooler! I was always into strange, futuristic looking cooler designs, even though almost all of them would perform terribly and bend easily. Thankfully, this is the only cooler that survived without much damage, and it actually performs rather well.
A nice nostalgia trip. I only connect the power switch nowadays. My RAM has red LEDs which are more visible then a tiny front LED. My nvme SSD is never fully utilized because software can't keep up. Lastly if something goes wrong my motherboard has debug 4 LEDs to indicate the problem.
Yet another great one Chris! It's does make one think on the limits just two LEDs can convey. Last year I modded my desktop with a small USB-powered custom PCB that drives a third LED which lights up when my GPU is hard at work (with a little Win32 C++ coding in Visual Studio). Also, early last year, I built a storage server around the X11SDV-4C-TP8F Supermicro motherboard, it has THREE headers for front-panel status; telling them apart was a head-banger without the manual as you rightly put the importance of having to-hand.
![A Beginners Guide to PC Cables & Wiring! 🔧 [Power, Front Panel, RGB & More]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AIP4fYNjnF4/mqdefault.jpg)
Sometimes the hardest thing about the computer build is getting the front panel wiring correct. Another excellent video for novice or veteran pc builder.
It's just the size of the pins and the fact PCBs are often black now which is the worst colour when you want to see something printed on a board.
nope. The hardest thing is to find out how to connect wires which are not long enough to reach pins on you new motherboard :-)
You connect any, why you need that ? PC speaker sounds you like ? Low Ghz settings ?
Actually, I've found the hardest thing is getting people interested in how desktop PC front-panel connectors work. Chris has clearly triumphed over this obstacle, as I've managed to get several people to watch this who have absolutely no interest in PC building… It's all a matter of presentation.
Hello Chris.
This video of today is really a unique one. Don't think any channel dealt with it in such extensive manner.
I try to be different!
@@thaphreak 20 years ago... try doing it in 1996 when usb was brand new!!(i bet you did lol)
The best we had before now was half a video from Linus Tech Tips!
@@bfapple true indeed. In Techquickie I think.
I just posted a comment very simliar to yours. There are lots of others showing how to build a pc but few talk and explain how to connect the header panel. Great comment.
This guy always make videos like he's on 2006 youtube and i love it, very informative like always
So many channels on TH-cam showing how to build your own computer but they always seem to gloss over the front header panel hookups and procedures. Nice to see this channel still provides education on topics that might be viewed as alittle outdated but yet to many of us who grew up with older desktops remember the fun(sarcasm) in getting all these lead correct. Thank you!
I teach English in my own school in Minorca Spain and I have a couple of students studying I.T. Your videos are the perfect exercise for polishing their comprehension. Congratulatios Chris
Beautiful CGI work, crisp and flawless 🤩 and as always, a very informative video! 😇
Thank you so much 😀
Perhaps a future video there?
@@ExplainingComputers - A demo of the CGI software you use would be great!
@@ElmerFuddGun Yes indeed!!
A small observation: with the correct polarity of the LEDs, the inscriptions on the connectors will be outside.
The speakers operate on alternating current, so they do not have polarity in the usual sense. However, the polarity is often marked on the speakers. The fact is that the speakers in multi-channel systems must be correctly phased, otherwise the sounds from different speakers in antiphase will cancel each other out and it will sound really wrong. Therefore, on the speakers there are conventionally plus and minus inscriptions in order to connect them correctly. If there is only one speaker, it doesn't matter.
There are also buzzers with a built-in generator, polarity is important for them (but they are not used in ordinary computers).
By the way, that small black buzzers are not piezoelectric. Although they have some design differences from conventional speakers, they are still dynamic, with a coil and a magnet.
Thanks for this. Not all headers have anything printed on them. :)
On speakers, I was very careful to caption "The front panel speaker does not have a polarity", and this is true. This is an educational video, and it would not have improved clarity here to explain that speakers do have a polarity when fitted in stereo pairs to avoid them being out of phases.
On the buzzers, I stand corrected. Thought I've certain fitted (and once opened up) one that was piezeoelectric.
Great info,
Thanks 👍
This is what I was commenting, but explained better here.
+1 speaker wired in the incorrect polarity will be out phase. the way to tell is that the positive terminal should make the speaker cone move forward, use an old 1.5 volt battery.
@@garygranato9164 Out of phase with what?
So gratifying to hear the beep after you connect the speaker.
Yes, it brings a sense of calm and normality to the world.
@@ExplainingComputers It's the mainboard way to say I and all of my important components are ok and it's all up to the OS now
lol whereas I specifically don’t connect those stupid speakers for my own builds. I even removed the speaker from my instrument cluster in my truck to get rid of all of the stupid warning dings. I get a message on my cluster anyways.
The stuff no pc builder ever shows, thank you for this
I'm really glad that like 99% of manufacturers have the layout of these standardized nowadays, it was such a nightmare having to manually do each pin. Audio ones were the worst, because cases would commonly use different terminology than what the mobo manual said. X(
A written layout would have been nice...with some sort of labelling.
Maybe the usb consortium can help with naming/layout standards :D
@@ironfist7789 The USB consortium has done terrible job standardizing names.
@@markanderson2904 can call it UMB (universal mother board) 1.alpha.0 season 1 interation 0
@@ironfist7789 Don't give them any ideas. 😊
The mention at 10:14 of using speakers from old electronic devices was great and adding that idea with salvaging front panel cables from discarded PC cases and soldering them together is a cheap or in many cases free way of making a PC beeper/speaker.
I made one myself via that method as I like hearing those POST beeps that bring me back to the Althlon XP computer my family had when I was younger. They've been very convinent too as budget motherboards often don't have the segmented LED displays that display error codes during the POST process.
Had to make a separate comment for that additional engagement for the algorithm overlords and to not lose the heart from you Chris. Keep up the nice work with these very informative videos!
This is a must-watch for PC enthusiasts, tinkerers and up and coming hobbyists. So many young people I've talked to have expressed interest in learning about, and building retro computers. More so than ever before! Your channel is an invaluable resource for this growing segment. Thank you, Chris.
I wish that was my experience but, in reality, I don't think most young people care about building computers - particularly retro ones.
I've been in conversations in other (Linux) YT channels where I explain why I choose my particular brand of Linux, Gentoo Linux, because it lets me run a modern OS on "any old cr*p". When I tell them that, as a Thinkpad enthusiast, that my oldest working computer today is a Thinkpad T22 with a Pentium III CPU from 20-or-so years ago, the usual responses are of the format "Who still runs Pentium III machines?" or "Get with the times, boomer".
I have been programming, building and repairing computers for 40 years now and I've been lucky enough to have been working as a "techie" in telecoms, IT and cyber-security for four decades also - and not one day unemployed in that time. One reason that I am still doing it is because I enjoy it, but it's "scary" when I get onto video conference calls with colleagues across Europe and the USA to always see "a bunch of old guys" staring back at me - and the reason for that are so few youngsters "coming up through the ranks" with, say, computer science degrees.
I am by no means "tarring them all with the same brush" and I subscribe to YT channels made by interesting youngsters more than 20 years my junior, and long may that continue.
But most of them aren't interested in understanding how computers work, or have any concerns about security and privacy - they just want to "consume" computing devices that are premade for them and pay a premium price as a result.
You know the world has gone mad when people pay in excess of 1000 dollars/euros/pounds for a phone **MADE OF GLASS**.
@@terrydaktyllus1320 Maybe it's just i my area, then.
@@terrydaktyllus1320 I care about Computers and Technology and Retro computers and i’m part of Generation Z, so young tech enthusiasts like me do exist
Even after all the years I have been watching your videos, I never fail to learn something new each time. Please never stop teaching me 🙂
Thank for watching! :)
This has always been the most unpleasant aspect of computer building as far as I'm concerned. For the most part, I connect the power switch and call it good. But I admire you and all of those out there who take the time and effort to hook up everything.
I build a few computers in my day and always worry about the front panel connectors. I was always afraid I blow something up. And goodbye build. You have put me at ease it's not as bad as I thought. Thanks Chris for another get video
Thank you
These connectors are a hangover from the last century. PCs I built in the mid-90s had the same connectors.
Amazing the industry has never standardized on a single large connector for these.
This is by far the best video on the given topic. Very detailed and simplified for everyone to understand. Ytb influencers can also watch it to learn how to make an educational video
Many thanks for your kind feedback. :)
I've fiddled with making these connections. Once the main board is in the case there is far less room, it gets much harder to see down there and plugging stuff in is tedious. I've also had to convert between 2 and 3 pins, and 3 and 4 too, by finding an appropriate bit of plastic and moving the wires in to that. Good times indeed.
25 years of this rubbish and the manufacturers still haven't managed to agree on a 'standard' . Even if they had to use a proprietary dongle to a standard case connector.
I heard they tried to change it a few years back, but eventually abandoned the idea.
Good for first time PC building. Yes it is a problem when different motherboard is different layout. Manual is important to get it right.
If one sets aside any interest in computer hardware and views this as one would a work of art, it can be immensely enjoyable as well.
Thanks! :)
Excellent job my friend. I just sent this to a young noob building their first PC! This will prove to be very useful! Thanks!
The most complicated part of building a new PC. Good video, mr. professor! 👍
About 3-4 months ago I performed a motherboard upgrade (the motherboard didn't work ;-;) but I remember being very stressed about the front panel connectors, and now I know that for the most part, it doesn't matter, thanks
Before that it was far more difficult. While you had the same front panel connectors for the most part. The switch was connected directly to the power supply. But you also had to set up the motherboard as well with jumpers and switches for things like system speed, IRQ, COM, etc. I was so glad when they finally simplified those settings and incorporated them into BIOS. Some new motherboards will supply a header for you to attach the front panel connectors to and then plug that header onto the motherboard making it even easier.
Another great video and explanation of the front panel connectors.
I accidentally remove my Panel Cables and was totally lost on how to fix it. But your pictures of the "standart" fixed it. Thanks man
Good to hear that you are sorted! :)
As an old man with poor eyesight, this was a nightmare some years back. Thanks Chris for the content! Have a great week.
I built my 2nd PC ever last week and this was one of the most confusing part, this video would've been so helpful if I caught it earlier, very interesting educational piece.
You are the most sophisticated and informative person in techy world. When teaching these things nobody's stand a chance against 🧐you and I'm saying with 17 year's of experience if it validate my point😅. God bless you Sir🙏
Many thanks for this kind feedback. :)
Very well explained, professor. It only lacked to say, as far as I remember, that the white cables are the negative ones and the colored ones, the positive ones. Excellent video!!! 👍
I did indeed forget to say this, but there is a caption that indicates that the negative cables will either the white or black. :)
@@ExplainingComputers Yes, very true. Although it is more common to see white cables as negative in electronic gadgets that were opened and sometimes repaired, I see a more common tendency for manufacturers to use this color than black. Years ago, from what I observed, I think there were more black cables as negatives than white ones. I don't know if it's because of cost. White even in paints is cheaper and more abundant.
Anyway, thanks for your answer and excellent video, Professor. Sincerely. :D
Didn't think my old heart could take the excitement, but I managed to make it all the way through to the end of the video! 😋
I already know the front panel stuff, but I don't regret watching due to those very nice 3D renders of a motherboard.
THIS...was a video long overdue. Back in the days (pre-1994), case upgrading was always a FUN adventure with all those cables. Sarcasm definitely intended. ;) Although I've had decades of experience in handling these WONDERFUL cables, I'm quite sure there are younger people just getting their hands dirty, building their first computer (from scratch) and learning the wonders, fun and excitement in doing so. Thanks again for a really enjoyable video on a subject that I don't see very often. Much appreciated, Chris.
Glad to see that much detail moves me (again) to build up a new Pc. VERY GOOD, gives confident back to play with motherboards.
Congratulations for one million subscribers ❤
Thanks so much for this Chris, my nephew bought me an NEC PC and asked if I could fix it up for him for college. All of the connctors were unplugged and I was totally lost as to where to start, but with your help it is up and running (on windows 8 unfortuately) 20 years ago NEC used their own weird BIOS but the connector explanation really helped us out! though most stuff was usually from Taiwan in that era, Japanese companies liked to do things differently... the machine is now helping him with wonderful things like MS word ! (In Japanese).
old systems!
NVMe LED ? speaker ? High Frequency Mhz ? press LOW ?
You are a genius in explaining and your explanation is so easy to understand. The reason being you speak clearly, without over complicating the terminologies and thanks to you I have a much better understanding now of the front panel pins of the motherboard than I had before.
Thanks. :)
Excellent as always Chris, and super useful for potential system builders....and something I could have done with many years ago, having learnt from trial and much error 🙂
Many thanks and stay safe until next time 🙂
I was dealing with this last night at like 12am as I was building my roommate's PC into the night. The timing is perfect haha! Sleep deprivation made this particular part of the build the most nerve wracking part of the process, moreso that worrying about the cpu cooler pipes colliding with the heat sinks around the CPU socket, and was compounded by the fact that I had already rested the motherboard snugly in it's new case. I got it all hooked up though after consulting the physical manual many times
some videos will never get old.
this one is the CASE.
You have put a lot of effort into this very useful video. Thank you sir. You should bask in further kudos because you managed to make what could be a very mundane subject highly enjoyable.
Thanks Mark.
I remember panicking about the FP connections on my first couple of builds, a video such as this would have been quite comforting... Thanks for sharing!
Very well done! 30 years I've built my own pcs and the case pins are always clumsy. A standard setup with one plug is a distant dream.
I was so pleased when my newest board came with a small rectangular plastic plug, that you connect all the front panel wires to outside of the case, and pushed the block in all at once. That should be the standard I think.
That certainly sounds quicker and more likely to happen than an industry standard layout.
However this is a problem. Putting an older motherboard that doesn't have that 10-1 standard plugin. The previous MOBO that I have has a 20-8 pin layout and I can't connect with out breaking up the connector pins.
Excellent video & well explained, loved the cgi. I was lucky in my 1st PC build (2011) the case connector (front panel) was in one complete block so no connection issues, I did consult the manual for the F-panel header first & it seemed quite straightforward. I've learnt something new & I didn't realise that the polarity of some of the connectors don't actually matter, one to remember for my next build. I've got a box of old PC components stripped down from a windows 98 machine, you never know when they'll come in handy, it must be the generation that I come from, don't throw owt away! I see Stanley the knife edging into the shot good for him!! Another happy Sunday, thanks Chris :)
Hi Alan! :) You are the first to report on Stanley's appearance! :) Good spot.
For me this was literally one week late. I changed my motherboard last week and it took forever to find the pin connections. Great video.
Greetings! A new presentation in the series "Let's reduce the digital chaos". Simple and enlightening. Thanks a lot!
Perhaps unsurprising to you my 35 year career as a repair technician has benefited greatly from my interest in electronics and computers.
When I built my first PC two years ago the old front panel connectors were the ones worrying me the most but I referred to my manual, took it one step at a time and the rest is history. I really do enjoy this channel, I learn something new every video. You take something as simple as front panel connectors and make the subject interesting. It really is fascinating to have the intimate workings of simple things explained. This is part A that goes on part B for example but why is it important? How does it do it and why do we need it? You answer those questions and make it interesting. Thank you.
Very informative upload. Always wondered what is that little "sounder" thing, so it is a speaker. Good to see that I am not the only one with problems connecting those front panel connectors.
Thank you for your good explanation of these things. I just upgraded a old PC with a new motherboard, RAM and CPU. And yes I was worried about the front-panel headers. But a bit of reading in manual and some common sense helped me and after some errors I managed to set it up properly. I wished I had watched this video before, would have saved me some time.
Very helpful to someone building one of their first PCs. I think the first one I build was in the early 1970s. My problem has always been getting the pins on the connectors, As you pointed out often they are at the bottom front of the board and very hard to get to. I have used needle nose pliers and forceps
This video is a public service thank you. I have salvaged a motherboard from an OEM PC and the board does not have the print out for the front panel and since it is an OEM build no motherboard manual seems to exist either! But now I know polaritiy doesnt matter for power so hopefully i can just trial and error without too much fuss and everything should be okay.
Good luck!
definitely the most traumatic part of PC assembly - good to have this very clear explanation
Super tutorial video! When I was building my PC, I always wondered if the motherboard speaker wires had a polarity; I wish I had seen your video to learn that it does not.
The 3D animation you have created for this video are exquisite.
Thanks. The motherboard was created for another video about desktop PC hardware more broadly: th-cam.com/video/nTtdEYRh8WI/w-d-xo.html
This is the simplicity that I needed, many thanks
Here is a video that very likely will not bring me any new information at all, and yet I'm still intrigued enough to watch.
Watching this at 1:30 in the morning and was absolutely entertained! Keep it up!
Thanks for watching! :)
Thanks for the video. The timing was perfect for me as I was going to assemble a pc after nearly a decade
This is such an interesting deep dive. I really love your content because of the mix of theory and practice, very clearly demonstrated examples and cool tips and tricks. Absolutely masterful, thank you for your hard work!!
Excelente vídeo... I built my thirst pc in 1997 a 486 brilliant pc I was so proud of it I believe I still have it tlin the loft... Wish you well
Front panel headers are the part of a build that I dread because my bass player's fingers are not the best thing to get into tight spaces and still be able to see what I'm doing !
I recommend using a pair of fine long-nosed pliers or getting yourself a pair of artery forceps, which are great for getting a hold on fiddly little connectors.
Great Video! The front panel was such a problem for me years ago, when I frankenstiened some old PCs from garage sales as I couldn't afford new parts, some of the older MoBo had no labels on the FP and I couldn't find manuals online. I Still have a front panel switch from a 2004 E machine tower bc it was helpful for figuring out old pin outs.
I love how you reduced the circuits to the simplest form to explain. Once again a great video.
My NZXT case has all the connections in a single block, which is a small but very welcome feature. Great video!
Excellent video! It explains what the front panel header(s) are and how to hook them up very well. These days, it's just about the most fiddly thing we still have to do to install a motherboard, other than installing a processor, so it's very helpful to have advice like this.
Thank you. It clears up a lot of confusion, regardless of being used to it. Even following the instructions can still be a nightmare on quirky motherboards!
Great video Chris. Just an observation. You didn't mention the small sockets that some manufacturers include nowadays that have the same pin orientation with the motherboard and allow you to insert the pins there instead of the motherboard's connectors and then connect this socket on the motherboard. They are truly lifesavers, especially for us old dogs who need a couple of different pairs of glasses and a strong lamp above their head in order not make mistakes during the assembly.
Exceptionally clear, thorough, and helpful. Thank you!
What a cool coincidence! I also bought my first PC in 1996. It was called 586 (turned out to be AMD 486 equivalent) with 16GB RAM. I thought it was an Intel Pentium but learned my lesson the hard way. All later PCs I have bought I assembled myself. It's always fun to assemble a PC indeed and hear that beep. On this note, your "fake switch" is certainly better than using a screw driver to boot up :)
16MB RAM ?
@@cheeseschrist2303 was gonna say this yeah
not a chance it had 16GB RAM in '96
@@cheeseschrist2303 Indeed. 8MB was more common back then.
This is the best video I've seen on this subject, and very timely for me. Thank you.
thank you for explaining the fiddly bits, likely the most daunting part of pc building
Thanks so much for this video. I'm building a computer for the first time and I learned so much here. I'm now able to finish building with reassurance.
Good luck with your build. :)
Ah this little cables are a pain to install thanks for entertaining us Christopher have a nice week
Thanks, you too!
Installing these cables in a SFF PC feels like being in a Saw movie.
I was looking for exactly this topic as I was wiring my front panel. Thanks Chris.
I read all the comments (173 up until now) to see if anyone had to deal with separated USB headers and found it at the bottom (as usually happen when searching for something).
anyway, I enjoyed reading all of them and got that feeling of belonging to something cool,
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences
Very straight to the point and explains the right kind of information in a proper constructive way. One of a kind channel, subscribed
Great video Chris. I always wondered about the polarities and if it would damage anything. You have put my mind at rest. I agree about it being a shame that most motherboards do not have a speaker now. That reassuring single beep was always good to hear. I might buy one of those speaker connections just for nostalgia.
My Father built 100s of PCs and just used guess-work, worse case seneraio is you might get the Power LED becoming the HD Led and the HD Led becoming the Power LED. Might look a bit werid but then it's easy fixed..
Really enjoy computer building videos and one of the reasons I first subscribed to your channel years ago. Things have changed so much over the years that I'd love to see you do the same type of explanations for How to Choose memory, soundcards and various types of SDD and such. Thanks for the video.
Great explainer. Wish this content was available over twenty years ago for my first PC build.
Chassis intrusion is an interesting one. Once worked on a large "MoD" site with many thousands of Compaq desktops. The BIOS was configured on each to talk to a Syslog server so if any of the cases were ever opened it would be logged with the unit serial number. As asset tracking was super tight it only took a quick lookup to find out who the unit was assigned too. I think some NHS trusts also do similar.
RAM theft was a big problem at one point. People would liberate a spare module or two for their home machines or to sell on.
Graphics rendering top notch as usual, nice work !.
Very nice basic video, its great for you to document this type of procedure.
Thank you
Thanks. I've made over 400 videos here, so I thought it was time there was a front panel on in the library! :)
Building a computer brings back such happy memories for me. The young gamers weren't impressed with my build, but it was cheap, it worked, and I made it myself.
I got into building when i was younger. My friends all had cars unlike me, and went to the beach one summer, leaving me alone. I read books on computer repair and building while they were gone. When they came back, i knew how to build and repair computers.
I recall a few years ago that some motherboards came with a front panel block - a block that was fully labelled - you just had to plug all of the connectors into this block, and then plug that into the motherboard. It made plugging everything in so much easier as you didn't have to try and squeeze your hand in the case to plug the connectors in. It really is something that should be fully standardised by now however.
Explaining Computers must be protected at all costs costs! 👍
I really appreciate the way you explain, it's freaking amazing 👍
Thank you so much 😀
too bad that there are those who still wont get it
Thank you very much, it's been a while since I've build a new PC and now is the time... your video is very well explained and quickly reminded me how to do it properly :)
Cheers
JFP1 for my Asus x570.
I have been watching this channel for more than 8 years and although there are very few things talked about that I already don't know, I still enjoy them for some reason.
I do wish they would standardize these pins so that a single plug can plug into them or individual connections like they currently are.
This is very informative for me. I'm using old hardware to build a retro (2007-2009) PC and I am using a MSN P7N SLI motherboard and while I know the JFP1 and JFP2 connectors to a degree from the PDF manual I downloaded, this provides a bit more of insight. Thank you.
Old PC's used it, today, NVMe LED ??? High Frequency ?
Truly informative video.
You don't see many videos on these connecters on TH-cam.
Yea , true .
@@danielivanov930
Indeed.
Oh, goody! What a lovely coincidence that I was just finished cleaning my old PC I left at my parents' house. Terrible food splashes, humidity, cat & human hair, dead skin, the whole deal. It has got a Gigabyte 990xa, Phenom 2 x4 and the very same Zalman cooler! I was always into strange, futuristic looking cooler designs, even though almost all of them would perform terribly and bend easily. Thankfully, this is the only cooler that survived without much damage, and it actually performs rather well.
A nice nostalgia trip. I only connect the power switch nowadays. My RAM has red LEDs which are more visible then a tiny front LED. My nvme SSD is never fully utilized because software can't keep up. Lastly if something goes wrong my motherboard has debug 4 LEDs to indicate the problem.
Not only useful, but gives me some ideas for using an old computer like a Pi with much fewer pins.
One thing I hope you cover are the new power supplies... big change there, it looks like! Wonderfully done video. Great details. Thanks!
Sooooo glad to have discovered your channel. Awesome content :)
Welcome aboard!
I built my own machine back in 2004 and figuring these all out was probably the hardest part of the process. A lot of frustration!
Yet another great one Chris!
It's does make one think on the limits just two LEDs can convey. Last year I modded my desktop with a small USB-powered custom PCB that drives a third LED which lights up when my GPU is hard at work (with a little Win32 C++ coding in Visual Studio).
Also, early last year, I built a storage server around the X11SDV-4C-TP8F Supermicro motherboard, it has THREE headers for front-panel status; telling them apart was a head-banger without the manual as you rightly put the importance of having to-hand.
Nicely done. Could've used this 25 years ago.
Help for the chronically confused! Many thanks.