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Difficulty: EasyMotherboards Form Factors and Connectors

A technician is assembling a new desktop PC and needs to connect the computer case's power button, reset switch, and drive activity LEDs to the motherboard. Which of the following motherboard headers should the technician connect these chassis cables to?

  1. Front panel headerAnswer
  2. B
    24-pin ATX main power connector
  3. C
    SO-DIMM slot
  4. D
    PCIe x16 slot

Answer

The front panel header is used to connect the chassis power button, reset switch, and activity LEDs to the motherboard.
The front panel header (commonly designated as F_PANEL or PANEL on the motherboard) consists of a group of small pins that connect to the computer case's power switch, reset switch, hard drive activity LED, and power LED.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the purpose of chassis wires
The wires originating from the PC enclosure connect to switches (power, reset) and LEDs (HDD, Power LED).
These controls allow the user to control power states and monitor system drive activity from the front of the computer case.
2
Locate the correct motherboard connector group
The motherboard provides a block of small pin connectors designated as the front panel header (or F_PANEL).
Matching the small wire leads (+/- polarity for LEDs and standard pin pairs for momentary switches) to the front panel pinout grid completes the connection.

Key Concept

Motherboard Headers and Front Panel Connections
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Topics

Motherboards Form Factors and Connectors

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