How can I connect my front USB ports?

[Amino]

So I've got 2 front USB ports. I want to connect them so that I can use random stuff like my MP3 player or joystick with relative ease. Does anyone know how to do this? My mobo doesnt have the USB headers to connect to, and the connections won't physically fit into the USB 2.0 headers on the mobo, meant for the ones that take up a pci slot, in the back of the case.

I've heard that there are USB headers that you can buy, that attach to a PCI slot which can be used for this, but I don't know where to find them...

Does anyone have a link to something like this? Or maybe another solution?

Thanks all!

 

[Hookem]

Most motherboards have a USB headers to connect external USB connectors to...Here is a general guide to USB connections http://www.directron.com/installusb.html Different motherboard manuals and case manuals will call the wires or headers different things but generally it is the positive voltage in pin one, then the -data, then + data, then the ground...Look for the USB header on your motherboard in the owners manual...

 

[Amino]

I appreciate the help, but as I've stated before, my mobo doesn't have the headers to connect USB ports to, other than to the USB 2.0 ports that attach to the back of the computer, which come with the mobo itself.

I want to use the ones in the front of my case. Is there a PCI card that has headers on it that I can purchase separately to use with the USB ports on the case I have?

 

[Hookem]

Well Amino...After downloading the manual for your motherboard...It does indeed have two "front" USB headers...Look on page 8 of the owners manual...My suggestion is that you disconnect two of the USB 2.0's on the PCI slot adapter and use those two for the front USB connectors on the front of your case...That will still leave you with the two USB 2.0 connectors on the motherboard and two of the four on the PCI slot will also work...What kind of case do you have? Some case have individual wires while others have all the wires connected together...If you look the USB headers on your motherboard have two rows of pins five on one side and 4 on the other...The 5 volt positive pins are the ones at the top or where the two pins are together...followed by the negative data...then positive data...then ground...If you read your manual it should be very specific about how to make front USB connections...Your case manual should also prove to extremely helpful...The link I provided you for directon should give you an idea of what is as far as I have seen "standard" USB connections...I have never seen a motherboard that is not like the diagram that is in the USB guide from directron...