RANT- front panel connectors are a crime against pc builders/users

[inquisitor1]

for so many years and they cant think of making it easier? larger or at least get a standardized case plug and mb connector. ffs, cmon now.

years and years these small pins you can hardly see and no less at the bottom where you have limited reach.

this is humanity dumbed down. no progress on the basics. and plus the fact that the case mfr dont help with their marking on the plugs. so small

I dont understand how they add so many great features but cant all come to an agreement to make a universal front panel plug and mb connector.

Ive never seen it but I heard theres an "easier middle plug you connect fpc to and then into the mb. cool, make a standard connector.

with all their "tech" theyre still stuck in the past.

 

[_roman_]

Honestly I prefer those smaller 2 pin connectors. Some PC cases have a bigger connector also for the "pc speaker / hdd led / power on button / reset button / power led" connector field

--

Real bad is my Asus mainboard.

Source in german what i wrote in the past

ASUS PRIME X670-P

Hallo Anbei mein Eindruck von diesem Mainboard. Ich hoffe es hat für euch einen Mehrwert. Als Kurz-Fazit stelle ich hiermit eine Kaufwarnung aus für dieses Mainboard mit Zeitpunkt 26-Mai-2023 aufgrund BIOS Qualität und aufgrund Selbstbauer Freude. Mainboard ASUS PRIME X670-P Lieferumfang: 1x...

www.hardwareluxx.de

the mainboard connector peeled itsef of (that connector peeled itself off with the cables from the Jonsbo D41 PC case)
Asus - "for those who dare" is a marketing slogan.
My ASUS monitor greets me on a daily basis ... ASUS - in the "search for incredible" (crap quality)

Than it looks like - left of the screw

 

[Vayra86]

You do see a single plug these days more and more often right? I've had one on my last two boards.

I also think this is segment related. The lower/budget segments will probably still use that subpar solution.

But yeah. Lol, this part of building a PC is like going back to the stone age. I also like how the USB3 connector always takes a sledgehammer to insert as well as the 24 pin. Like wtf?! Every time you're wondering if the board itself might break entirely.

 

[eidairaman1]

Is this really a problem?


Asus provides a block for the nonners

 

[inquisitor1]

so as I say, this should be standardized YEARS ago

make it a standard for all mb and cases. one is this way, the other that way. it doesnt need to be like the pins shown. it can look like a usb 22 pin kind connector, not just a bunch of pins.

lets just say, the current situation is crep and needs to be fixed. so many years of torture. you can hardly see the pins layout. its ridiculous.

we can give excuses but we all know how you get all the easy 24pin 8 pin gpu pins, sata, nvme, audio, front panel usb then we get to the dreaded front panel connection and its never smooth. it absolutely sucks and needs to be made better.

thats it. I have decided. from tomorrow all mfr will do a zoom meeting and implement a universal connector thats simple.

anyone ever see the tv show "life and times if tim"? the manager would say something outrageous then say "bam, done"

 

[Bill_Bright]

This has been a gripe of mine for a long time. Even if they came up with a standard pin layout, it is still almost impossible to ensure you connect the correct cable connector to the correct pin - not to mention it is almost impossible to see what you are doing when your own hand is in the way. Doesn't help when, in my case, my eyes are ancient.

The problem is getting all the major case makers and all the major motherboard makers, along with the ATX consortium to get together and agree on a standard. But clearly, it would be great if all the cases used a standard connector (even if some of the pins are not used - not all cases have Reset buttons for example) and if all the motherboards used the same "keyed" (so it only goes in one way) front panel header.

My Gigabyte board came with a really nice little adapter/guide thingy that made it simple. You can hold this adapter/guide outside the case and in a good light, connect all the front panel wires, then plug the adapter/guide into the board. Pretty sure most other makers do something similar - at least with their better boards.

I dont understand how they add so many great features but cant all come to an agreement to make a universal front panel plug and mb connector.

Wishful thinking. The problem is, they don't have a common enemy any more. Way WAY back in the day, all the major hardware makers got together and, led by Intel, created the AT Form Factor standard. This was the predecessor to the ATX Form Factor standard for PCs we have today.

This standard is what made it possible to put a Brand A motherboard, using Brand B processor and Brand C RAM and Brand D graphics card into a Brand E case and power it all with Brand F power supply and be certain it all will physically fit, use the correct voltages and support the same OS and other software.

But back then, all these competitors had a common enemy; IBM and the IBM PC. So they were willing to work together for a common goal.

Plus, none had invested much on their own standards so they were willing to compromise and come to a consensus.

Once the "IBM clone" industry took off and kicked IBM off the PC throne, everything changed. The ATX Form Factor standard stuck around because it was already here and working. But agreeing on new standards meant someone had to concede and give up on their own. This is EXACTLY why there is no ATX type standard for laptops. And it is the consumer who suffers as we are stuck with higher priced, "proprietary" products.

Coming up with a standard motherboard front panel connector would mean ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, Foxconn, ASRock, and other motherboard makers would have to agree on one standard and perhaps give up their own standard they had already heavily invested in.

At the same time, CoolerMaster, Fractal Design, Lian Li, and the other case makers would then have to do the same. And then the case maker group and the motherboard maker group would have to get together and agree.

The world is just too divided for that to happen, regardless how much sense it makes, or how much easier it would be for EVERYONE once fully implemented.

 

[_roman_]

On the positive side. I used the reset cable as an extra CLEAR CMOS cable for my sold MSI B550 Gaming edge wifi mainboard with the ryzen 5800X when I was doing my first steps with ram overclocking. I pulled these cables out of 286 / 486 based pcs several years ago. That mainboard always needed a clearcmos.

My current ASUS AM5 mainboard jumps quite fast to - no idea whats - happen - press f1 mode - an error happened stage. So the clear cmos is hardly needed anymore when I was trying to figure out better timings for my DRAM.

Well feast on those single pin cables. I also used to connect those. Kinda nice to have single pin for two rows and connect it wrong (as seen on power led+ / power led - on the picture)

 

[Shihab]

My old Asus mobo came with one of those extender/adapters thingies.
For those that don't, I just duct tape the individual connectors into one block outside the case following the manual's pinout and plug them in as I would with those adapters. Their elonagted, boxy shape makes this relatively easy.

 

[Vayra86]

This has been a gripe of mine for a long time. Even if they came up with a standard pin layout, it is still almost impossible to ensure you connect the correct cable connector to the correct pin - not to mention it is almost impossible to see what you are doing when your own hand is in the way. Doesn't help when, in my case, my eyes are ancient.

The problem is getting all the major case makers and all the major motherboard makers, along with the ATX consortium to get together and agree on a standard. But clearly, it would be great if all the cases used a standard connector (even if some of the pins are not used - not all cases have Reset buttons for example) and if all the motherboards used the same "keyed" (so it only goes in one way) front panel header.

My Gigabyte board came with a really nice little adapter/guide thingy that made it simple. You can hold this adapter/guide outside the case and in a good light, connect all the front panel wires, then plug the adapter/guide into the board. Pretty sure most other makers do something similar - at least with their better boards.


Wishful thinking. The problem is, they don't have a common enemy any more. Way WAY back in the day, all the major hardware makers got together and, led by Intel, created the AT Form Factor standard. This was the predecessor to the ATX Form Factor standard for PCs we have today.

This standard is what made it possible to put a Brand A motherboard, using Brand B processor and Brand C RAM and Brand D graphics card into a Brand E case and power it all with Brand F power supply and be certain it all will physically fit, use the correct voltages and support the same OS and other software.

But back then, all these competitors had a common enemy; IBM and the IBM PC. So they were willing to work together for a common goal.

Plus, none had invested much on their own standards so they were willing to compromise and come to a consensus.

Once the "IBM clone" industry took off and kicked IBM off the PC throne, everything changed. The ATX Form Factor standard stuck around because it was already here and working. But agreeing on new standards meant someone had to concede and give up on their own. This is EXACTLY why there is no ATX type standard for laptops. And it is the consumer who suffers as we are stuck with higher priced, "proprietary" products.

Coming up with a standard motherboard front panel connector would mean ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, Foxconn, ASRock, and other motherboard makers would have to agree on one standard and perhaps give up their own standard they had already heavily invested in.

At the same time, CoolerMaster, Fractal Design, Lian Li, and the other case makers would then have to do the same. And then the case maker group and the motherboard maker group would have to get together and agree.

The world is just too divided for that to happen, regardless how much sense it makes, or how much easier it would be for EVERYONE once fully implemented.

I think you just made the strongest possible argument for IBM to buy ARM and try to dethrone x86 for real.

All in service to unified connectors!

 

[eidairaman1]

My old Asus mobo came with one of those extender/adapters thingies.
For those that don't, I just duct tape the individual connectors into one block outside the case following the manual's pinout and plug them in as I would with those adapters. Their elonagted, boxy shape makes this relatively easy.

Never had an issue with front panel connectors over 25 years of messing with them.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I think you just made the strongest possible argument for IBM to buy ARM and try to dethrone x86 for real.

LOL No, I don't think so. The best thing that ever happened to PC enthusiasts, especially self-builders was the ATX Form Factor standard.

In no other industry can you replace an ASUS motherboard with a Gigabyte, AMD processor with an Intel, Crucial RAM with Corsair, MSI graphics card with XFX, Be quiet PSU with Seasonic, WD drive with Samsung, Coolermaster with FD and still expect it all to work to access your data.

We don't need more monopolies.

Never had an issue with front panel connectors over 25 years of messing with them.

The issue is just that they are not as simple as connecting the 24 pin power connector - which is one and done. I mean it really makes no sense for the power switch wires, for example, to be two separate wires. Same with the Reset switch, drive activity LED and Pwr LED. Sometimes, that is 8 separate connectors to 8 separate pins. That is nonsense. Even with the pairs are molded into one, that may still be 4 connections to a single header.

Oddly, the one header pin connections that have been consistent over the years is the system speaker connector - and most cases don't include them anymore.

So no, the "issue" has never been more than an annoyance - an unnecessary annoyance, IMO.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I think you just made the strongest possible argument for IBM to buy ARM and try to dethrone x86 for real.

They wouldn't do that. IBM buying ARM would never happen and if it did, IBM is still very invested in the X86 tech industry. It just wouldn't work very well and would cause them a conflict.

However, we're getting off-topic so I digress...

We don't need more monopolies.

This!

 

[Assimilator]

To be fair, the adapters most boards come with nowadays have made this mostly a non-issue. But it is pretty wild how the PC ecosystem has evolved in terms of connectivity, yet the most basic and simple and annoying connectors are still the very same ones that launched with the AT form factor nearly **four decades ago**. "If it ain't broke don't fix it" may be true most of the time, but certainly not for front panel connectors.

 

[Deleted member 190956]

Too many motherboards still lack the adapter thingy though. There was a time in the past almost every mobo maker had their little adapter, and included it in all motherboards. Having said that, I've noticed that the pin layout is nowadays the same in 90% of motherboards out there, so the problem could also be solved with a block connector on the part on the case (as some cases indeed have, for example some nzxt models). If the motherboard has an unusual layout you simply include a breakout cable for the block connector.

My point is, although I whole-heartedly agree with the original poster, I think the problem could be solved (even if not ideally) without the motherboard makers explicitly agreeing on a common standard, simply by means of case makers having block connectors + breakout cable. It won't be more than a couple of dollars' cost.

PS: And what's with the rigid garden hoses used for internal usb3 cables? Do they need to be THAT thick?

 

[Shihab]

PS: And what's with the rigid garden hoses used for internal usb3 cables? Do they need to be THAT thick?

Given that your average case/prebuilt oem does not want their review section filled with (This case makes my Bluetooth/Wifi worse!), the answer is "yes."

https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/327216.pdf

 

[Transpanda]

I also like how the USB3 connector always takes a sledgehammer to insert as well as the 24 pin

Seriously, every time I have to take one of my PCs apart, it feels as if I’m about to break the mb in two or rip the smaller connectors off the board. I understand the connection needs to be solid, but not THIS solid.

 

[PLAfiller]

Good thread, that's the one item when I swap cases or build a new system where I open the manual of the motherboard obligatory! . I've only gotten the "easy" adapter once with a mobo I bought: Asus P5Q-EM. That's it. My MSI Z490 did not come with one.

 

[AusWolf]

for so many years and they cant think of making it easier? larger or at least get a standardized case plug and mb connector. ffs, cmon now.

years and years these small pins you can hardly see and no less at the bottom where you have limited reach.

this is humanity dumbed down. no progress on the basics. and plus the fact that the case mfr dont help with their marking on the plugs. so small

I dont understand how they add so many great features but cant all come to an agreement to make a universal front panel plug and mb connector.

Ive never seen it but I heard theres an "easier middle plug you connect fpc to and then into the mb. cool, make a standard connector.

with all their "tech" theyre still stuck in the past.

I agree.

My other gripe is the connectors on the front panel. Why do they have to be different on every chassis? I mean, USB is just USB, so why can't you swap the panel out if you need to, like you can with back panel extensions/connectors in case they need servicing or upgrading to a new standard?

 

[inquisitor1]

I agree.

My other gripe is the connectors on the front panel. Why do they have to be different on every chassis? I mean, USB is just USB, so why can't you swap the panel out if you need to, like you can with back panel extensions/connectors in case they need servicing or upgrading to a new standard?

they should make them come out easy if someone might want to swap or even upgrade. just make them all easy rectaangles to pull out and reclip in.

why doesnt 2-3 companies get together and be champions and make a new standard. patent it then sell it to the other mfr to adapt it. users will like how easy it is and surely would use it. its the most primitive connection on the board. I put on jewelers glasses which magnifies the area. I have to check the stupid up arrow for the positive and align it and a manual is a MUST. they need to standardize it

meaning, if one motherboard doesnt want to include a feature like the 4 pin speaker, then leave it blank, the plug can still fit in.

most mb are similar in their connectors but I never take a chance and use the manual. its just a massive pita.

24/8/8 are super easy to setup, but then the dreaded front panel connectors...like everything you did was enjoyable and exciting in building the pc till you get to that.

 

[_roman_]

They had the chance with that btf mainboard standard.

I dislike those connectors of those btf mainboards. Just make proper connectors when someone places the mainboard on the back no pins bend. First press pictures had bend pins for those btfmainbkards.

Fan connectors without daisy chaining serial bus. You can daisy chain them but only one fan reports the fan speed. Rgb needs extra cable. Those companies never heard abour a serial bus. Make up to 64 fans daisy chainable with one wire for the serial bus signal. Every device has some mac which is unique on the planet

 

[Bomby569]

my mobo brought a connector were you plugged all the small bits in advance without having to do yoga, ask a friend for a loan child with small hand and squint your eyes, and when you connect to the mobo it is all in one piece easy to plug in

 

[Dr. Dro]

The fat USB 3 connector is worse, IMO. it's kind of a matter of when and not if one if the pins will break off making the header

my mobo brought a connector were you plugged all the small bits in advance without having to do yoga, ask a friend for a loan child with small hand and squint your eyes, and when you connect to the mobo it is all in one piece easy to plug in

I wish I had tiny raccoon like fingers, maybe that's why I'm not the greatest technician that's ever lived

 

[wNotyarD]

The fat USB 3 connector is worse, IMO. it's kind of a matter of when and not if one if the pins will break off making the header

I can speak for myself about bent USB 3 header pins, due to cable rigidity not allowing me to bend the cable for it to allign correctly with the header.

 

[Shihab]

My other gripe is the connectors on the front panel. Why do they have to be different on every chassis? I mean, USB is just USB, so why can't you swap the panel out if you need to, like you can with back panel extensions/connectors in case they need servicing or upgrading to a new standard?

Yes! Bring back the 80s/90s!

 

[inquisitor1]

The fat USB 3 connector is worse, IMO. it's kind of a matter of when and not if one if the pins will break off making the header



I wish I had tiny raccoon like fingers, maybe that's why I'm not the greatest technician that's ever lived

not worried about the fragility. my issue is seeing the pins. I have a bit of double vision so 1 looks like 11. I slightly move my head back and forth to read the numbers. happened from covid stress

but those pins are so small and badly located. especially a full atx mb and midi case. its all tight there.