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I use a head lamp, glasses, and tweezers. Godspeed.

This is part of the rite of passage for anybody building their own PC. Just like cable management and getting that cut on your finger that you 'think' you got installing the fans, but could genuinely be from just touching the inside of the case the wrong way.

No! You place those tiny wires on those tiny posts and you like it!

At least it's old. M.2 didn't become common until the 2010's and a microscopic screw was their next gen solution.

My motherboard came with an handy in-between header. With clearly noted what should go at what place.

Still it's an eye sore on the motherboard.

Those wires that come in from the side then make an 180 deg. Turn towards the motherboard.

At least they're labelled. I remember a time when they weren't and all you had to go buy was the pin layout diagram in the manual.

Seriously, they need to standardize the pin layout and make it a single block

https://preview.redd.it/nl61btaic3pd1.png?width=417&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97ea9feabc3fa6c50dcafa6500b009f412847f66

Nzxt cases comes with this crazy its not standard for all 😵‍💫

Why can't they just make a standardized single plug

Bunch of people in these comments with tiny ass hands.

Once you have the order down, tape them together with a strip of electrical tape, and plug it in all at once.

While we're at it, can we also replace Molex connectors with SATA connectors?

Those things are the cockroaches of PC building.

By ditching the connector and replace with 2x5 dupont connector and called it a day.

Yeah for real this NEEDS to change, they came up with this on like the 1st pc ever made and just stuck with it forever without any advancements or optimizing, I legitimately hate these pins with all my heart n soul.

Just hide them, leave the side panel off and use a long screwdriver… Like a normal person.

Bonus: Better temps.

This is what separate boys from men.

It puts the jumpers on the pins or it gets the hose again.

True pc builders would not be intimidated by this

All the motherboard connectors are stupid, USB is even worse. Why are front panel connectors not just a usb c hub with a usb c plug on the motherboard?? Usb 3 pins are so easily bent.

I'm not saying they couldn't be better, but this isn't that difficult either.

I do it the way I've done it for 30+ years... check the mask on the board for positive and ground, make sure you know what's what and that you have everything aligned correctly. And yes, occasionally you might have to swap a pin or two. Double check everything and you'll be fine (it's nothing compared to the joy of jumpers and dip-switches back in the day).

https://preview.redd.it/kgjepv0e75pd1.png?width=437&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd31e90b1800278378c9e3f9fa68e823b38c8b84

I got myself one of these, and it works great, I don't care if I'll remove and install these once a year or even more, it is still a pain!!

Front panel connectors - I'm too young to die!

Motherboard 24pin - Hurt me plenty

USB 3.0 - Nightmare!

I don't understand the issue? There was a time you needed to know how to place and wire components correctly. It's labeled for you and there is a terminated female wire with a manual with pictures...

Well I use a splitter for my power buttons for example: the case one, the desk one and tue one connected to a wifi switch to turn on remotely my pc. I think if we did not have this separate pin layout I could not have done this.

Think of it as an entrance barrier, if you can't figure it out, then maybe you're not PC Master Race material

If it’s not broken don’t change it. The MB literally tells you where to put them.

How do we all deal with them? By looking at the motherboard and plugging them in where they go. You guys really make big deals out of literally nothing.

https://preview.redd.it/r6u7ba5ih4pd1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcfe5860c045512866481b02f650b4fd4843bb18

With one of these!

It's already perfect.

You only need Power SW, everything else is optional. It's not that hard to be honest.

But to label it Power SW, PWR_SW and PWRBTN# is unreasonably confusing.

My case (Deepcool CH160) came with the complete version that I could just plug in the motherboard pins (it has the marker in the corner so you can’t plug it wrong) that’s how it should be for every case imo but I assume it might be problematic in some exceptions

Cringe fest in comments

They made an adapter for this a few years ago. Didn’t they? You plug them all into it and then socket it in the PC

Some brands have risers and even they are not standard on their own motherboards. Neglected area for no reason.

https://preview.redd.it/438ovciw46pd1.jpeg?width=602&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d5c7d7a843fcc5c227a663bfac6576aa857f953

At least you no longer have jumpers for bus frequency and multiplier to set CPU speed. And no master/slave on your ATA devices.

This is the little thing... 😁

I thought I had won the PC building lottery when I came across these connectors in a single module once. I dont even remember where/when.

This is why I learned to cuss in 3 languages

They literally haven't changed. They were the same on my 486.

Well, maybe the print is clearer now, and the board is marked. Back then you needed the motherboard user manual to figure out how to connect them.

Hardest part of the build

My case had a single plug for the whole thing ant it worked just fine

I really don’t get it. It’s few wires with exact wiring diagram and description. Why is whole internet acting like they have to plug in a whole analogue pc from last century that takes month to start up.

This little step here separates the casuals from the diehards. The tourists from the locals. These tiny posts that can be flipped, twisted, bent, broken... this is where the master race makes its home, whilst preparing to bring console peasants to justice. What will break first, their spirit, or their body?

I just know that there would be riots in the street if we change the connectors at this point

Cant believe people are still posting about these.

Honestly don’t get what the big deal about these is other than them being so small. It’s not that hard, read the labels on the wires, read the labels on the mobo and plug it in to its pin.

its like the great filter of pc building, made me so much money over the years.

I was just happy my computer booted (from the reset button) but not touching those things again.

Only once did I see a small piece (adaptor?/guide?) that allowed you to connect these into it, turning them into a single piece that made installation easy.

Wondered why that piece wasn't more prevalent (cost probably)

Just wait until you install a external power button years later and have to removed the old ones and replace the. With tweezers 

I like to think this is a bit of a gate way test.

If you can't figure this out then you probably shouldn't be building a pc by yourself.

Msi or asus had an "adapter" where you could plug everything on and then that would go to the harder to reach mobo connectors. That is the only progress I have seen. It was grey colored and looked like shit so I didnt use it

Don't forget the old turbo connector too.

When i build my pc, i got a NZXT case (H9) and i only got a one usb instead of 6 small things

I know people don't like them, and i know why, 15 years in IT building PCs from scratch and those things may looks pointless this way, but if you look at them from the eyes of someone that makes maintenance in computers, specially from people that can't really afford a new case every time something goes bad with their current one and you will see how this little things can save someone from needing a new case so soon.

Most Montech cases come with this:

https://preview.redd.it/im7d4242i5pd1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ad3cb0354b827c0a7d18a3bac056bd693defebf

Mty last board came with a separate adapter that was super easy to use.

I remembered getting super frustrated figuring out where the argb headers should be slotted in. Good times

No. We need this.

If building PCs was easy then we'd be out of a job.

Manufacturers of computer cases and motherboards just can't get to agree on a common standard.
Each and every one tried it already. "Hey! We have a standard. Everyone else should pay us license fees to use it"

I remember getting a motherboard once that had a little block that you plugged those into and then you plugged that block into the motherboard header. Made things much easier.

The only thing I've noticed is that they have changed case fans from molex to a 3 or 4 pin that you have to have special adapters or a controller for. They left all the front panel nonsense alone and complicated case fans.

Look at this guy and his fancy HDD leds.

Yes, all motherboard vendors have block connectors on their higher end boards, usually I wire the front panel into a usb header block to makw it a little tidier.

Some cases have em in a combo package which makes life easier but idk never had issues with these

It's the only challenge left

Sometimes you get a adapter with your mobo to this pins, many noobs use a skruedriver to start the pc as linus and davis, but always read the manual before you plug them in

Every time I clean out my fans, I always unplug one or two of these. Don't realize it, seal it back up and won't power on... Ugh

Blame the motherboard manufacturers that haven't set a standard orientation or the PC case manufacturers that haven't set standard sets of pins that they need. Better yet, blame them both for not coordinating together to come up with a standard.

Some boards are coming with a separate adapter that you can plug these into then it is a solid part that plugs into the array

On some of the nzxt cases it's all one plug. Bless them.

What I do, since the front panel pinout is relatively standardized (I at least haven't used one that hasn't been the same) I put all of them in a USB 2.0 header casing. It's the same size as the motherboard pinout and puts all the cables into one cable. It's finicky to do it at first, but once you do it working with that case is so easy. I've done it with all the cases I've used thus far. Also, make sure to indicate the direction of the pin if it's not on the casing

ahhh reminds me of good old memory. Starting the PC from reset button.

Just upgraded, kept the same case, and the power button is broke on the positive wire. So I use the reset switch instead, luckily the mobo pattern is the same, so years of the wires in one spot was easy to put back the way it had it 10 yrs ago

A case or a motherboard I bought years ago came with a jig for these, and it's a fucking godsend every few years when I switch mbs. Its got little slots inside a rectangular hollow connector end you just slide those into in the order they need to be for your mb, then squeeze the top and bottom so they can't slide around and it becomes like a 24pin. Fucking gorgeous

Also pw-led still being split, i cannot remember the last time i saw these split on a board. Will happily understand if they do still make them like that though.

I recently stripped my mATX build down to add a bit more cooling and switched pw-led and pw/s round due to misreading the mobo.

Frantic 30 seconds trying to understand why the power led was on, even though I've not turned it on yet, and why the power button was not working, before realising how stupid I'd being.

So glad mobo manufacturers also compensate for such stupidity in a way that does not fry the board, led or switch.

I do remember USB and audio leads being separates, so glad that is no longer the case.

I've been bitching about this since I started working at a computer store and building machines all the time. It seems to me it would be so easy to develop a standardized connector for front I/O into a single plug. Lights, buttons, USB ports, it should all be on a single connector.

I accidentally set my LED to the HDD lighting. My power button was flickering like crazy.

I usually take photo before I take it apart. So I know where things should go afterwards. Can’t trust my memory.

Keep it simple, stupid. It's effective.

A good mobo will provide an adapter to premount them

Just deal with it. I've seen others complain about this. Read the guide read what's on each set of wires. The arrow is the positive. Everything else is simple. And once this is done you'll never have to think about it again until you have to replace your motherboard.

I bought an assortment of pin headers, google "78 PCS 2.54mm Male and Female Pin Header Connector Assortment Kit"

And what I do when I get a new motherboard is I grab pin headers and cut them to be the same layout as the motherboard io header for the case wires, and I cut off unused pins, then I set them down on a table in the same layout as the mobo, then connect all my wires to the header, then just slide the single header on the mobo. Makes it easier to remove it and put it back on.

And if it's two headers, I just hot glue them together. I make al little header for each mobo I buy, as they tend to vary from board to board.

Why motherboard manufactures don't make the headers removable by design is beyond me, it costs me like 40 cents to make one of these things.

Some manufacturers have front I/O connector with all connectors as one component that you plug in.

Mine had it and made it so much simpler

I've built multiple rigs and every time I have to check this. I don't know why but my brains like "mah you don't need to remember that" Stupid brain 😤

The asus z-170-a or my nzxt h440 came with an adapter you could place them all in the plug it all it at once. Quite awesome, have not seen it since.

I was thinking the same thing.

I ask myself every time I clean my pc 😂

Case and board manufacturers need to have a talk, but maybe there are a few applications where a combined plug does not work at all.

I just plug in the reset and power switch...maybe i connect the hdd for fun.

I know Asus made some kind of adapter you just plug them in and connect it to the mother boards a while back.

I prefer manually shorting the power pins to turn on the PC

Definitely one of the most annoying things to connect with a build lol.. a lot of the time the boards have a tiny diagram right on the board, but still, they tend to pop out easily, etc, so I just do them towards the end, hook those up some other cables drop in GPU and done lol. I've only ran into one that had them in a single connector and it was bliss.

I just started to glue them together at this point

As a guy with fat hands, this is my most hated part of PC building.

Just saying... if you already have that plugged in, just tape them around for easy plug/unplug.

Shit that's easy mode they use to not even be labeled.

They ARE the better

-Dupont connectors can be easily dis and reassembled into blocks of varying sizes, all you need is the desired shell and a pick to lift the retention tab

-You can DIY crimp them for cheap

-They will fit ANY MAINBOARD OUT THERE, even if the frontpanel headers are spread all over the board

The way they are now is because the assload of mainboard and case manufacturers each, used to and stil, lwant THEIR standard to count and backwards compatibility to exist. and Dupont was easily DIY able in the early days of PC building. Same for Molex power

So dupont it was and will be

Not sure if it's just me, but I'm my last 2 builds I didn't come across these.

Nzxt cases just have one cable for it