If you decide to assemble or disassemble your computer, this article will be very relevant for you. It will talk about how to properly connect the panel of front buttons and USB ports on the system unit to the motherboard. Here, I will consider not only the general view of the ports to which they need to be connected, but also the correct order in which they are connected.
In fact, it seems, there is nothing complicated about it. But in my practice, even specialists who are quite well versed in computer technology sometimes stand in front of the system unit, with a bunch of cables and think what and where to connect.
Therefore, further I will show in detail what and in which connector you need to connect one or another wire for the correct operation of the connected front panel of the system unit. That in the future, at the next cleaning of the computer or possibly replacing the motherboard, you will have no difficulty in correctly connecting all the elements of the system unit to the motherboard.
It is also very important if the front panel with USB ports and headphone and microphone outputs does not work for you... Then, be sure to read it to the end in order to find out how to fix this whole thing and return the working state to our front USB ports. Because, the malfunction may be that they are simply not physically connected to the motherboard.
Connecting the front panel, block of buttons and indicators
The block of buttons and lights for turning on and restarting is connected to the motherboard using four connectors, which are connected into one continuous loop. You can see how they look at me below. They should have approximately the same appearance in your case. Most importantly, you are looking for connectors that have similar phrases written on them: Power SW, Power LED, HDD LED. RESTART SW.
Let's take a look at each connector separately:
- POWER SW (PWRBTN) - responsible for the computer power button;
- H.D.D.LED (+ HDLED) - hard disk light that blinks constantly when the computer is running;
- POWER LED - and + (PLED) - an indicator indicating the state of the computer ( enabled or disabled);
- RESTART SW (RESET) - the connector responsible for the reset button;
- - the buzzer speaker is sometimes also present in the cable panel;
Where should all this be connected? All connectors will connect to one port located in the lower right corner of the motherboard. Manufacturers usually sign them with such designations as: “ F_PANEL " or simply " PANEL". On each motherboard, near such a panel, there are small signatures where to insert what. But still, below I will give you some examples of what to attach to what.
Also, sometimes an additional small speaker is connected, which notifies with a squeak about turning on the computer, as well as about various errors of the BIOS and computer hardware. Sometimes it connects with all the other connectors, but as a rule, a separate four-pion connector is allocated for it.
Everything, with the block of buttons finished, now you can go to the front USB and audio outputs.
System unit front panel connections
The audio and USB connectors are very similar to the ones we connected for buttons and indicators. But the main difference between them is that they are already immediately connected into one, and you do not need to take it and connect one pin at a time.
You can also find the place for connection at the bottom of the motherboard with the signatures (F_USB1, 2). There may be two or more of them on the motherboard, but it does not matter which one you connect to, they will work the same way. The main thing you need to do is take the connector with the signature “ F_USB”And put it in the appropriate connector. You cannot make a mistake, because if you try to insert it on the wrong side, you simply will not succeed and turning it over with the other side, I think that everything should fall into place.
Be sure to pay attention if you have on the front panel of the computer USB 3.0, then you need to connect it to the corresponding connector. You can find out where it is located in the manual for your motherboard. Also, I want to draw your attention to the fact that if USB 3.0 is connected to a standard connector, it will work, just the transfer speed will be the same as on USB 2.0.
Connecting the front panel audio to the motherboard
The sound situation is similar to USB. Here, too, the connectors are connected into one, which will allow you to easily and without errors connect it to the motherboard. The connector itself is usually located next to the USB ports and is designated by the following abbreviations; AAFP, AUDIO, А_AUDIO.
Taking the connector with the inscription " HD Audio" or " AC 97»We plug into the connector with one of the signatures, an example of which I indicated above. If, after connecting, the headphones and microphone still do not respond, then in BIOS it is worth checking the settings of the front audio panel. Sometimes it happens that the system uses the "AC97" driver, and the BIOS indicates "HD Audio" that, due to a non-compliance, our audio outputs are disabled.
Connecting additional fans
I think that information about how and where you can connect additional fans will not be superfluous for you. I mean those coolers that can be located on the back of the case or stand in the bottom of it. The procedure is the same as before, we take the connector and plug it into the connector. True, the location of the connectors is different from all the others. In most motherboards, it is somewhere in the middle and looks like this.
Also, as in all other cases, each connection point has its own signature (SYS_FAN, CHA_FAN). I would also like to note that there is a small wall on the connector itself, which serves as a hint for the correct connection. The connector itself should sit easily, if this is not the case for you, most likely you are trying to connect it with the wrong side. I do not recommend pushing it there by force; there is a possibility that you will simply break it off.
Well, it seems that everything, additional elements, cases that will need to be connected, I remembered. But if I forgot something, you will remind me in the comments and I will add this information to this article for completeness.
Connecting the computer's front panel to the motherboard
Temperature directly affects the quality and duration of computer components. That is why it is important to control the literacy of the cooling system. Dust should not accumulate in it, all computer fans must work normally, increasing the speed if necessary during serious loads.
Most of the users work at the computer in standard mode, without loading components in productive games and applications. At the same time, the coolers on the computer may not be configured, and in such a situation they will work at maximum or close to maximum speed. To reduce the noise when the computer is running, you need to adjust the operation of the coolers by lowering the rotation speed of their fans.
How you can adjust the speed of computer coolers
The rotation speed of the computer cooling fans is initially set at the motherboard level. It is determined in the BIOS, and quite often the automatically set settings are incorrect. In most cases, the rotational speed of the coolers is set to maximum, which is why the computer makes a lot of noise during operation, but does not need such serious cooling.
There are 3 main ways to adjust the rotation speed of computer coolers:
Within the framework of this article, we will consider the third option for software adjustment of the rotation speed of computer coolers.
How to adjust the rotation speed of computer coolers
There are hundreds of applications that allow you to adjust the rotational speed of your computer's coolers. However, some programs allow only the fan speed control of certain components.
One of the most convenient and simple programs for adjusting the rotation speed of computer coolers is SpeedFan. The app is free and can be downloaded from the developers' website or other trusted sources on the internet. After downloading the program, you need to install it, and then run it. When you start SpeedFan for the first time, an informational message may appear that needs to be closed.
Checking the rotation speed of coolers
This is followed by a block of indicators of the rotation speed of coolers (measured in RPM - the number of revolutions per minute) and the temperature of computer components. Let's figure out what each of the indicators means:
It should be noted that all of the above designations are indicative and may vary. Not every motherboard gives information about the name of this or that connector for connecting a cooler on it. For example, on some motherboards in SpeedFan, you can see a picture like the image below, that is, all coolers will be connected to Fan1 - Fan5 connectors, without specifying the purpose of each of them.
It is also important to note that the SpeedFan program only allows you to control the coolers that are connected to the motherboard. The fact is that the 3-pin fan connector can be powered from the motherboard or from the power supply directly. If it is powered from a power supply, then it will not work to regulate its rotation speed. It is recommended to connect all coolers to the motherboard.
To the right of the designations of the rotation speed of coolers is a block with information about the temperature of computer components. It should be noted that SpeedFan is not the most accurate diagnostic tool in this regard, and it does not always accurately determine the temperature. If you have doubts about one or more indicators, it is recommended to download more professional temperature monitoring software, for example, AIDA64 or HWMonitor.
Adjusting the rotation speed of coolers
As you can see, in the upper window of the SpeedFan program there are blocks with information about the operation of coolers. Below are the tools for adjusting the fan speed in the computer. They can be designated Pwm1 - Pwm3 or, for example, Speed01 - Speed06. There is no particular difference, since it is impossible to determine by these names which cooler a particular adjustment is responsible for.
To decrease or increase the rotation speed of the cooler, you need to press the corresponding buttons up and down in the columns with the fan rotation intensity. When pressed, observe the reaction of coolers in the diagnostic information above. Thus, it will be possible to determine which of the fan is responsible for this or that setting.
Important: When lowering the fan speed to reduce the noise level during computer operation, do not forget to control the temperature of the system unit components to avoid overheating.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Probably many have noticed a connector on the motherboard called cha_fan, they are three and four pins and there are several of them on the motherboard. Let's figure it out, Cha Fan what is it on the motherboard. In the article, you will find out what he is responsible for and in what cases to use it.
Cha fan connector
Cha Fan - this connector is responsible for connecting additional coolers for better cooling of components inside the system unit.
This connector may have a different name. Here are all the names that are responsible for connecting the coolers, that is, synonyms for cha_fan: these are sys fan and pwr fan. Additional fans can be connected to such connectors if you think that the installed coolers cannot cope with cooling the system unit.
Sys Fan for connecting an additional cooler
CPU FAN for connecting a processor fan
PWR FAN for connecting an additional fan
Depending on the motherboard, there are three and four pin connectors.
Three-pin connectors are not a controllable connector, that is, the cooler will always rotate at the same speed, regardless of the load on the computer. But the four-pin connector can control the rotation speed of the fan, so when the temperature of the processor rises, the cooler will rotate faster, if the load drops, then the rotation speed decreases. On the CPU FAN, there is a four-pin one, which is installed on the processor and automatically adjusts the speed of rotation, depending on the load on the processor.
When to install an additional fan
Many people think that the more coolers are installed, the better the computer will work. based on this, people sculpt fans wherever possible, although this is not necessary.
An additional fan should be installed only if the temperature of the components inside the system unit under load approaches the acceptable threshold or has already exceeded the acceptable value.
Therefore, before installing additional coolers, it is worth checking the temperature of the components. This is a hard drive, video card, processors, bridges, and only after that make a decision about installing a cooler. You can check the temperature of the components using programs.
Often, overheating of components is caused by dust that has accumulated in the components, on the heatsinks and on the motherboard itself, as well as dried thermal paste conducts heat worse, which can cause overheating. Replacing the thermal paste and cleaning the dust can solve the overheating problem and you don't need to install additional fans.
You know that an additional cooler is not only an extra power consumption, but also noise.
Those who have at least once examined the surface and connectors of the motherboard with their eyes, probably paid attention to the 4-pin connector, which is signed as CPU Fan. In this article we will tell you what this connector is for and what is connected to it when assembling a computer.
What is a CPU Fan for?
The purpose of this connector is almost completely disclosed in its name. You just need to translate it from English. So CPU stands for processor, and Fun stands for cooler or fan. Putting everything together, we get a cooler (fan) for the processor.
From the above, we can conclude that the CPU Fan connector is designed to connect the processor fan.
Despite the fact that the CPU Fan is 4-pin, 3-pin fans can be connected to it.
Connecting 3 and 4-pin processor fan
Some may mistakenly plug a CPU cooler into the socket designed for case fans -. However, this is not correct. The processor cooler of course will spin, but the computer will not know this and most likely every time it starts, it will ask for and display an error
CPU_FAN / SYS_FAN1 / SYS_FAN2 / PWR_FAN connectors for fans
The system board has 4-pin connectors (CPU_FAN) and (SYS_FAN1) for connecting the CPU cooling fan and system fan, as well as 3-pin connectors (SYS_FAN2) and (PWR_FAN) for connecting the system fan and power supply fan. When connecting the fans to these connectors, observe the polarity (the black wire of the cable corresponds to the "Ground" contact). The motherboard provides the ability to adjust the CPU fan speed. To ensure adequate heat dissipation, it is recommended to use a system fan that blows heated air out of the PC case.
Ensure that fans connected to the system provide adequate heat dissipation to key components. Remember that overheating the processor or the system as a whole can damage components or the system may become unstable.
These connectors do not require additional jumpers. Do not use jumpers to short circuit the contact groups of the FAN connectors.
