Motherboard Wiring

Question

HI All,

I bought a new case to put a motherboard in. Everything fits, I have done this before, but not in a long time!

The case has wires for - Power SW - Reset SW - Power LED - HDD LED

On the motherboard (ASUS M2NPV-VM) it is clearly labeled where these go, but I cannot remember where the black wire for each goes versus the colored wire? I don't want to put it backwards, wont I blow the motherboard?

Answer 1

You will not blow the motherboard.

Switches do not matter - LEDs only work in one direction.

Personally, I put the coloured wire in the lowest numbered hole - or have the text looking outwards. If you look in the manual, it should show a + symbol which identifies the colour cable. However, it changes from motherboard to motherboard (and case to case) - so there is no one answer fits all.

Here is a link to your manual.

Answer 2

The case doesn't have power so you can't feed bad voltages into the board this way. The power is going the other way--from the board to the case wires.

Switches don't have polarity in the first place, either the two leads are connected or they aren't. The two LEDs do have polarity but look at the name: Light Emitting Diodes. Diodes--those devices that conduct in only one one direction. If you hook a LED up backwards there isn't enough voltage to cause a breakdown and the voltage is in the wrong direction so it doesn't flow--the light simply doesn't light up, no harm done.

In fact that's how red/green LEDs are built--you have both in the same package wired in opposite directions. Apply power one way and you get red, apply it the other and you get green.