A guide to the best motherboard cable connections for gaming.
The motherboard connections is a guide that will help you make the best cable connection. It includes the motherboard ports, the connectors, and what cables to use for your setup.
If you’re building a computer from scratch for the first time, the only issue you’ll have is connecting the wires to the motherboard. There seem to be a dozen wires, some of which appear to be similar, and you can’t figure out which one belongs where?
Don’t worry; this article will walk you through connecting each and every kind of wire found in today’s PCs. Before you begin connecting the wires, you must first understand the various kinds of cables and connections that may be found on your computer.
Although you may not have all of the following types of connections and cables on your PC, you should bookmark this guide so that if you come across a new kind of connector in the future, you can simply attach it using this advice.
And, as usual, we’re here in the comments area to assist you!
Connectors and Connections are two terms that are often used interchangeably.
1. A 24-pin connector ATX
While previous motherboards came with a 20 pin power connection, the 24 pin ATX power connector includes four more pins for increased current capacity. However, a power supply with a 20-pin connection cord may be used on a 24-pin motherboard.
This connection is in charge of providing power to various parts of the motherboard, such as the RAM, PCI, Chipset, Audio section, I/O ports, and so on.
How to Get in Touch: The power supply connection includes a tiny latch in the center that makes it simple to see which way the connector goes. Four extra pins have been removed from the 20 pin connection on certain power supply. So, all you have to do now is plug them in together, or do it individually if you’re not comfortable with the combination.
To get rid of it, open the clasp from the top by pushing down. It will be stronger than any of the connections, thus removing it may need a significant amount of effort.
– Quickly determine what motherboard you have
2. EPS
The EPS connection pin count varies, unlike the 24 pin connector. It may range from a single 4 pin to a twin 8 pin connector, depending on the motherboard’s tier. This connection is in charge of powering your VRM portion, which provides regulated voltage to your main CPU.
How to Connect: The EPS connection is similar to the ATX connector in that it has a tiny latch and travels in one direction. If your motherboard has two four-pin EPS connection ports, you’ll need to combine two four-pin EPS connectors from your power supply. Both locks should be in the same place.
3. PCI-E
The power to your video/graphics card is supplied via this connection. For a single graphics card, it’s usually a 6 pin connection that may go as high as a dual 8 pin connector.
How to Get in Touch: The PCI-E connection connects in the same way as the EPS connector does. If your graphics card has an 8-pin connection, you’ll need to join the two additional pins with your PSU’s 6-pin PCI-E connector. The identical procedure will be used for a graphics card with two 8-pin connections.
4. SATA Power Supply
SATA is a 15-pin power connection that may be used to power a wide range of devices. It is often used to power SATA hard drives and Solid State Drives.
How to Connect: SATA cables have a set pin layout and can only be connected in one direction, which is extremely simple to understand. The interior design of the connection will be in the form of an L, making it simple to identify simply by looking at it. There is no lock on the connection.
SATA connections are often used to power SATA hard drives and SSDs, although they may also be used to power RGB peripherals, adapters, and hubs.
5. SATA
This SATA connection differs from the SATA Power connector in that it connects a SATA storage device to the motherboard directly. It is not in charge of providing electricity to any of the components.
How to Connect: SATA cables have an L-shaped design within the connector, making it simple to determine which way to connect. The connection, on the other hand, is much smaller than any of the other connectors listed above. Some SATA cables have a lock, whereas others do not.
6. Molex
A Molex connection, which is a four-pin connector that is thicker than the SATA connector, is used to power most of the extra peripherals, such as a chassis fan or an outdated DVD drive. A Molex connection is no longer utilized in contemporary computers since the SATA power connector has taken its place.
Connecting Molex Connectors: Molex connectors may be linked both ways. To get the connection properly inserted, it usually takes a lot of force. Some devices only have two pins for power, so you can plug them into a four-pin Molex connection and leave the two female connectors alone.
Connector for the fan
The fan power connection may be either a 3 pin or a 4 pin connector, each with its own function. DC fans utilize the 3 pin fan power connection, whereas PWM fans use the 4 pin connector, which is simpler to operate. The CPU fan header is similar to any other fan header, but it will always be stated there so you know where the fan for your CPU fan cooler will be attached. It’s possible that if you connect the CPU fan to another header, it won’t function.
How to Get in Touch: To begin, determine how many pinholes your fan wire has. If it has three, it may be used in both a three and four-pin header. Connecting on a four-pin header will leave the fourth pin unconnected and will not render your fan incompatible. Because your fan has a three-pin connection, you will only lose the PWM functionality.
Headers for RGB and ARGB
To connect RGB peripherals to the motherboard, RGB and ARGB headers are needed. The RGB header is a four-pin 12V power connection, while the ARGB header is a three-pin 5V power connector. The ARGB header can control individual LEDs, while the RGB header only offers limited control.
The RGB header has four pins, whereas the ARGB header only has three. An RGB device with a 4 pin connection may be linked to an ARGB header with 3 pins, however a 3 pin RGB device cannot be connected to a 4 pin RGB header.
The RGB connection can be used in both ways, while the ARGB connector can only be used in one direction.
9. USB 3.0 connector
The USB 3.0 header on a chassis is used to power the front panel USB 3.0 port.
How to Connect: The USB 3.0 header has a total of 20 pins. On one side of the USB 3.0 connection, there is a tiny piece of additional plastic that fits the cutout on the motherboard’s header. This causes it to only go in one direction.
Header for USB 2.0
A motherboard also includes a USB 2.0 header for powering the USB 2.0 ports on the front panel.
How to Connect: A USB 2.0 header on a motherboard features a ten-pin configuration, with one pin missing at the very end. Your connection will now only travel in one way. The connection wire will be linked to the front panel ports in your chassis.
11. Header for USB Type C
A front-panel USB Type C connector is now available on certain chassis, however it can only be utilized if the motherboard in use has a Type C header.
How to Connect: The Type C header, as well as the connector, is smaller than the Type A header. A USB Type C header and Type C ports are available on certain motherboards and enclosures. If your motherboard and case both have it, you may connect the Type C cable from your case to the Type C header on your motherboard.
12. Header for audio
It’s a power connection for the Audio and Mic jacks on the front panel, allowing for simple access to audio via a speaker or headphones.
The front Audio Header features a ten-pin configuration, however one pin is missing at the eighth position, thus the connection will only travel one way. This header is usually found at the bottom of the motherboard, and most boards will have their names listed underneath it.
13. Header on the front panel
The front panel header has a number of connections that are utilized for various purposes such as power, reset, hard drive LED, and power LED. It’s usually found in the motherboard’s bottom right corner.
How to Get in Touch: The front panel header contains four distinct headers, but they are so close together that they seem to be one. There are nine pins in all, with the ninth being a non-connection pin. It’s simple to figure out which way the connection is going.
The Power Connector will be linked to the top 2 pin header, which has a total of 4 pins, while the Reset Connector will be attached to the bottom 2 pin header, which has a total of 5 pins (which includes the 9th pin). There will be two pins next to the Power Connector header that will be utilized for separate Power LED connections. PWR LED+ and PWR LED- will be the names of the two LED connections.
The HDD LED connection will be connected to the neighboring two-pin header to the Reset Connector. Take a look at the diagram below for a better understanding.
This is a guide on how to connect power supply cables. It includes pictures and instructions that will help you with the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect the cables to my motherboard?
Connect the power cable to the motherboard. Connect the ground cable to the metal case of your computer.
What cables need to be connected to the motherboard?
The motherboard has 4 ports, 1 for the power supply, 1 for the CPU, 2 for the GPU.
Related Tags
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Tech runs the world - one of his driving quotes. Investing in blogging since 2015. When not surrounded by technology, enjoys rock climbing with his highschool friends.